Newton Falls-Allegations by Luke Grunder against Mayor Pat Layshock turned a quick trip to the Credit Union on January 14th into a felony charge. The Newton Falls Police Department turned the matter over to the Trumbull County Sheriff’s office to investigate the complaint to avoid a possible conflict of interest. Newton Falls Assistant Prosecutor David Lake asked Girard Prosecutor Bob Johnson to look into Grunder’s allegation that the Mayor deliberately blocked the passage of the rescue unit Grunder was driving in response to a 911 call from Blue Water Manor. After reviewing the allegation and speaking with Grunder and Jackie Dick who was a passenger in the rescue unit, Johnson filed a felony charge of disrupting public services against the mayor on February 9th.
According to the Sheriff’s report, based on statements made by Grunder, the mayor was stopped in the intersection and refused to move after being motioned to move by Grunder. After motioning for the third time the vehicle finally moved and the driver appeared to utter a swear word.
Via a phone interview Mayor Layshock said he was traveling westbound on Broad St. intending to make a left hand turn onto South Canal to access the credit union parking lot. As he was making his way past Healthy Treasures moving into the left hand turn lane he noticed that the green arrow was changing to a green light and stopped his car near the crosswalk because he would have to yield to eastbound oncoming traffic. Layshock said he heard sirens, but a large lumber truck on his right was headed west through the intersection and blocked his view to the north. Layshock said at this point he did not know if it was a fire department volunteer coming into town to answer a call or if it was an emergency vehicle coming from the fire department. Layshock says that he did what he was trained to do as a CSX driver and remained stopped at the light because he could not safely move to the right. Layshock said he remained in the stop position when he saw the ambulance not knowing which way it was going to turn because he did not see any turn signal.
According to Layshock, the driver of the ambulance, Luke Grunder, seemingly threw his hands up in disgust, after Layshock motioned him around the vehicle. Layshock said that Grunder, instead of completing his turn into the eastbound lane next to the credit union following the flow of traffic, Grunder made a tight turn into the westbound lane next to Niedharts Insurance into opposing traffic along the passenger side of his vehicle. Layshock said that he completed his turn after the ambulance passed by him. The mayor believes that the allegations are political in nature.
In a phone interview with Girard Prosecutor Bob Johnson he said that he had the case approximately two weeks before deciding to file the charge. Johnson said it was the wording of the witness statements, that they motioned three times for the mayor to move that led to the decision to file the charges. When asked, Johnson said that he was unaware that Luke Grunder worked for the Girard Fire Department and didn’t think that it would be a problem but noted that if he found a conflict he would step down. In filing the charges Johnson said that he left specific instructions to serve them as a summons rather than an arrest warrant. Mayor Layshock turned himself in to the Sheriff’s Department when he returned home from an out of state trip and the TCSO arrested and booked him on the felony charge, contrary to what Johnson had discussed with the mayor’s attorney.
Johnson said that he had no idea who informed the media about the charges, saying that he only approved the release of the report that was public record not the witness statements when asked by Chief Kuivila, who indicated that the media would be interested in the story. A court date has not been set for the case pending an assignment of a visiting judge to hear the matter.
