Saturday, September 22, 2018
Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
Police arrested a man who was driving a reported stolen SUV on the South Side.
Police patrolling near West Hylda Avenue and Hillman Street on Thursday afternoon spotted Tommy T. Grant, 24, of Youngs-town, driving a Chevrolet Equinox that was reported stolen in Struthers.
Grant led an officer on a brief chase, cutting off traffic along Indianola Avenue, before leaving the vehicle and reaching for a small revolver, according to a police report.
Officers pursued him through a wooded area near Indianola. He reportedly struggled with officers, who struck him in his head and neck while handcuffing him.
Officers found Grant was no longer carrying the gun, according to the report. He claimed to have disposed of a bag of suspected marijuana he was carrying, then later claimed it was a bag of crack cocaine, but officers did not recover the drugs or gun after the chase.
Grant faces charges of receiving stolen property, obstructing official business, resisting arrest and violating his parole. He did not plead to the felony charges and pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges during his Friday afternoon arraignment in municipal court.
His bond was set at a total of $15,000 on all charges. He was sent to the Mahoning County jail.
Prosecutors said Grant has prior convictions of aggravated robbery and carrying concealed weapons and two felony-level drug arrests in the last year.