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Officer injured on the job

EAST LIVERPOOL – A city patrolman is off the job for an undetermined amount of time after being injured Friday night by a man who had reportedly been threatening people.

Patrolman John Headley responded to a report of the intoxicated man standing on the sidewalk on Lisbon Street, screaming and threatening people who were walking and driving past. A resident told Headley the man, later identified as Michael Howard, 28, Idaho Avenue, had gotten off his bicycle in front of his house and “started flipping out on everyone he saw” and trying to fight with them.

When he was told police had been called, Howard rode his bicycle south on Lisbon Street and Headley had passed someone of his description en route to the call so went back to find the person. Headley was flagged down by a man who reported a person riding a bicycle had just threatened him, and Howard was found at West Ninth and Fenton streets, yelling and waving his arms about, according to reports.

He reportedly told Headley he had been fighting with his girlfriend and was going back to Newell, W.Va. Headley told him to push his bike home and cleared the scene but officers were called back a short while later to West Ninth Street where they reported seeing Howard pick up his bike and throwing it to the ground twice then start walking toward a man, screaming.

As officers told Howard to stop, he reportedly began running toward the man, and Headley ran to Howard. Howard turned and swung at the officer, who blocked the punch, also taking Howard to the ground where he continued to fight Headley, striking him in the back several times, according to reports. He was taken into custody and charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Headley’s arm was injured in the melee and was in a sling Monday.

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