Jury selection continues for suspect in car chase

The chase led to an evacuation and a six-hour manhunt.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Jury selection began Monday and will resume at 9 a.m. today for the trial of Duniek Christian — the man police charged with driving a stolen Cadillac while its occupants engaged in a rolling gunbattle with pursuing police on the East Side three years ago.

Christian, 23, of North Garland Avenue, faces nine counts of felonious assault. The charges consist of seven counts naming seven police officers fired upon from the Cadillac and two counts alleging Christian twice rammed an unmarked police car.

The trial is before Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

All the charges against Christian stem from a July 1, 2005, chase that led to evacuation of the Mahoning County Department of Job and Family Services, then on Garland Avenue, and a six-hour manhunt. There were no injuries.

Each felonious assault count carries a three- to 10-year prison sentence upon conviction, and the first seven counts have five-year motor vehicle gun specifications attached to them.

If he were to be convicted of all counts and specifications and all prison terms were maximum and consecutive, Christian would face 125 years in prison.

Two other defendants, Craig Franklin Jr., 20, of Glenwood Avenue, alleged to be the ringleader, and Jumal Edwards, 25, of Woodcrest Avenue, were convicted by juries and sentenced by Judge Evans to 105 and 97 years in prison, respectively, in this case.

In addition to the charges associated with the chase, Edwards was convicted of the armed carjacking of a church secretary that led to police pursuing her Cadillac.

The manhunt involved a helicopter, a small plane, search dogs and officers from multiple law enforcement jurisdictions. The suspects were arrested the morning after the chase.