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Man charged with assaulting police arraigned

Will undergo mental health evaluation

YOUNGSTOWN — Markeice D. Warner, 19, of Louisville, Ky., is being held in lieu of $110,000 bond after being arraigned Monday on three counts of felonious assault on a police officer, accused of assaulting and injuring three deputies at the Mahoning County jail and trying to take a gun off of a deputy at a hospital.

The felonious assault and aggravated-robbery charges are first degree felonies punishable by about 10 years in prison each if convicted. The charge associated with the gun — aggravated robbery — is also a first-degree felony.

Warner was in his cell shortly after 7:30 p.m. Thursday when deputies noticed he had a towel and a sheet around his neck in what appeared to be a suicide attempt, said Major William Cappabianca of the sheriff’s office.

Warner agreed to come out of his cell after a discussion with deputies. But, according to Cappabianca, after a few seconds of conversation, he drove a deputy into a concrete wall, and that deputy sustained a large laceration to his head that required 13 stitches to close.

It was the most serious of the injuries the deputies suffered. All three are out of the hospital.

The deputies finally got Warner to the ground after about 40 seconds, with the two other officers sustaining injuries to their legs and one of them having a cut on an arm, Cappabianca said.

The aggravated robbery charge was filed after an incident at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital on Sunday, according to court records.

Major Jeff Allen of the sheriff’s office said nurses had inserted an IV tube into Warner’s arm, but Warner ripped it out.

A nurse asked deputies guarding Warner whether Warner’s belly chains could be shortened to prevent him from removing the IV again.

In order to do that, deputies had to remove one of Warner’s handcuffs. While doing that, Warner grabbed a deputy’s gun and tried to pull it from the holster but failed. Warner remains in the Mahoning County jail.

The type of aggravated robbery charge he faces alleges removing or attempting to remove a weapon from a law enforcement officer while the officer is working within the scope of his duties.

Warner was originally being held on $30,000 bond after being arrested by Youngstown police March 23 on charges of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, obstructing official business and drug possession.

That incident began when officers say they spotted a vehicle being driven recklessly on Jacobs Road near the Beachwood Estates apartments on the East Side. Warner drove the vehicle into the grass alongside the road and stopped the car. An officer approached and spoke with Warner, who would not identify himself.

He was charged with obstructing official business for not identifying himself. Officers say they also found a handgun and cocaine in the vehicle. He was originally booked in at the county jail as John Doe, but deputies later identified him. Police found an ID card for a Michigan woman in the car. Warner has no previous cases in Youngstown or in the common pleas court before March 23.

Warner was arraigned Monday afternoon in Youngstown Municipal Court on the felonious assault and aggravated robbery charges. Judge Renee DiSalvo increased Warner’s bond by $80,000 and ordered an evaluation to determine whether Warner is competent to stand trial.

Warner will have a hearing today in Youngstown Municipal Court on the improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, drug charge and obstructing official business.

The competency evaluation apparently will delay further action in some of the cases.

erunyan@tribtoday.com

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