SOUTHINGTON, Ohio (WKBN) — Police said a traffic stop Friday led to an assault on deputies and an arrest.
Around 11 p.m. Aug. 5, a deputy pulled over a driver, later identified as Phillip E. Clingerman, 25, for a traffic stop along Route 422 in Southington, the report states.
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Clingerman attempted to exit the vehicle. The deputy asked him to stay in the car.
The report states that Clingerman got back in the vehicle, rolled the windows up, hid his hands and asked to be killed. The deputy called for backup.
The report states that upon arrival of backup, multiple officers commanded Clingerman to show his hands or exit the vehicle. Clingerman reportedly only cracked the window to stick his middle fingers out, yelling “kill me” and an expletive. He refused to identify himself to officers, the report stated.
According to the police report, multiple officers’ attempts to communicate with Clingerman were unsuccessful. Ohio State Highway Patrol officers placed stop sticks in front of the vehicle’s tires.
The report then states that Clingerman told officers they would have to remove him themselves, and he began reaching under the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Officers then used batons to gain entry into the vehicle through the passenger side door and took Clingerman out.
Police say Clingerman began pulling away from officers, still refusing verbal commands. He was taken to the ground, placed in custody and searched, the report stated.
Officers noted a strong odor of alcohol coming from both Clingerman and his vehicle.
Clingerman continued to fight and pull away from officers as he was escorted to a cruiser, kicking and yelling, according to the report. On his way via cruiser to the Trumbull County Jail, Clingerman told officers he would try to kill them and possibly himself, and that they had no right to stop him.
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When officers attempted to explain the circumstances of the initial traffic stop, Clingerman argued that he didn’t have to listen to officers. When asked if he was drunk, Clingerman stated that he was but that it didn’t matter because officers weren’t allowed to stop him in the first place, the report says.
Upon arrival at the jail, officers observed that Clingerman’s face was red, his pupils dilated, and that he was irritable and talkative. According to the report, officers observed nasal redness, causing suspicion of cocaine use. Clingerman denied all requests for blood, urine or blood tests and would not sign any forms.
Clingerman was booked into the jail on charges of DUI, resisting arrest, obstructing official business, assault and reckless operation.