STEUBENVILLE - One person was arrested and two others are wanted in connection with shots fired from a vehicle Monday afternoon involving an assault weapon, City Police reported.
Police answered a call about shots being fired in the 1500 block of Orchard Street around 3:50 p.m. Monday. Officers during the investigation discovered the vehicle fled the scene but struck a parked vehicle in the 1500 block of Plum. The vehicle was found a short distance away, police reported.
An AK-47 assault rifle was found beside the vehicle.
Police Chief William McCafferty said the investigation shows two people were inside the vehicle and shots were fired from inside the vehicle with the assault rifle at a group of people on the street. Shots were returned from the group of people, the chief said,
The windshield of the vehicle was damaged from a bullet, McCafferty said.
Rolland Owens, 22, of 453 Canton Road, Wintersville, was arrested and charged with improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle.
McCafferty said warrants were issued against Stedmund Creech, 23, and Antonio Johnson, 23, both of Steubenville. Johnson, who was in the vehicle with Owens, was charged with felonious assault and having a weapon as a convicted felon, McCafferty said. Creech, who was in the group being fired upon, was charged with having a weapon as a convicted felon, the chief said.
Johnson was sentenced to four years in prison in August 2008 after pleading guilty to four counts of having a weapon as a convicted felon and single counts of drug trafficking and possession of crack cocaine. Johnson was released from a state prison on May 26, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
Creech was sentenced to two years in prison in January 2010 after pleading guilty to felonious assault, possession of crack cocaine and possession of marijuana. Police were called in August 2009 about shots fired in the 400 block of Union Avenue and a car being struck several times by bullets. Witnesses saw the suspects run into a home on Union Avenue. Four people, including Creech, were arrested at the home and four handguns were found inside. The Jefferson County prosecutor's office at the time said Creech had gunshot residue on his hands.
