YOUNGSTOWN — Judge Anthony Donofrio of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court sentenced Darrius J. B. Easterly, 39, of Covington Street, to the maximum of 18 months in prison Thursday.

On Dec. 11, Easterly punched a Mercy Health police officer in the face at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, knocking him out.

Easterly pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of assault on a police officer, a fourth-degree felony, March 27 in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Easterly had been indicted on felonious assault.

During Easterly’s arraignment hearing in Youngstown Municipal Court in January, Kathy Thompson, Youngstown prosecutor, said the incident involved Easterly damaging the vehicle of “a significant other.”

Easterly was being taken to the hospital in that incident and “became violent and punched a police officer there and knocked him out,” she said.

Youngstown Municipal Court Judge Carla Baldwin set bond at $15,000 and ordered Easterly to have no contact with the St. Elizabeth hospitals unless it is for medical care, along with no contact with the victim of a misdemeanor criminal damaging charge.

The felonious assault charge was filed by an officer for the Mercy Health Police Department. The criminal damaging charge was filed by Youngstown Police.

Judge Renee DiSalvo of Youngstown Municipal Court dismissed the criminal damaging charge Jan. 4 because the alleged victim did not want to proceed or cooperate in the case, according to online court records.