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GIRARD -- The Youngstown man accused of engaging police in a gunfight, after a shooting minutes earlier of a man in a Mercedes at a busy intersection during rush hour June 10, appeared Friday via video in Girard Municipal Court.
The accused, 55-year-old Kevin Mallard of Manhattan Avenue, Youngstown, was arraigned from the Mahoning County jail via video link on on a host of felony charges, including attempted murder and felonious assault.
Judge Jeffrey Adler ordered Mallard held without bond on the charges, which also included carrying a concealed weapon, inducing panic and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle.
A preliminary hearing for Mallard is set for 9 a.m. Thursday in Girard court.
Mallard recently was released from St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, recovering from gunshot wounds from the shootout with police officers near the Belmont Avenue exit of Interstate 80 at East Liberty Street. He was taken to Mahoning County jail, where it appears that his booking photo was taken while he was lying in bed. The jail record shows he was booked into the facility Thursday.
At a township meeting last Monday and again on Friday after the arraignment, Liberty police Chief Toby Meloro said he cannot comment on any specifics of the officer-involved shooting, which the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handling. After its investigation, BCI will turn a report in to the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office.
The chief commended Liberty police and the officers from various other departments who responded to the scene.
"In my police career I have never had anything like that happen. I had heard there was a shooting incident in the township. The police department has a management team plan in place that if one of us is missing, everyone is trained to effectively do their job. The captains handled the situation perfectly," said Meloro, who was out of town at the time.
Meloro said too often people see situations like this happening on television and can't imagine it could happen in their own community.
"We are living in crazy times. … Police officers are always prepared and take the needed training. The officers rely on the training that they have had for situations like this. I am thankful no one was hurt," Meloro said.
Township Administrator Martha Wierick also commended the safety forces for their actions and professionalism.
According to police reports, about 3 p.m. June 10, Mallard, who was driving north on Belmont Avenue, fired a weapon at the driver of a Mercedes-Benz near the intersection of Belmont Avenue and East Liberty Street. The car crashed into a curb just north of the intersection.
Mallard took off in his Hummer, but police already were in the area and stopped him about a block away, reports state. Mallard got out of his Hummer and about 40 shots were exchanged with him and police in the area around East Liberty Street and Belmont Avenue, reports state.
The driver of the silver Mercedes remains hospitalized, according to reports. Police did not release his name or say what prompted the first shooting.
Reporter Bob Coupland contributed to the story.
gvogrin@tribtoday.com