Man faces charges in shooting of Austintown cop

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By ANGIE SCHMITT

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

AUSTINTOWN — Less than five hours after being shot at point-blank range, Patrolman Joe Wojciak walked out of an Austintown hospital wearing a small bandage and carrying an ice pack.

A bulletproof vest had absorbed the bullet meant for the 25-year veteran of the Austintown police force.

Boardman resident Carlton Sims, 22, faces charges of aggravated attempted murder, felonious assault and aggravated robbery, according to Police Chief Robert Gavalier.

Police believe Sims' motive was robbery when he approached Wojciak's cruiser about 7 a.m. Tuesday in a Mahoning Avenue Kmart parking lot, said Gavalier.

"I'm just glad it happened to me and not an innocent bystander," said Wojciak, who said there is a possibility he has a hairline fracture in his collarbone. "In 25 years, I've been through a lot of stuff, but this is the most serious."

About one year ago, Austintown officers received new — and fuller-coverage — bulletproof vests. Had Wojciak been wearing the older model, the bullet would have struck his collarbone, he said.

Wojciak, 53, was doing paperwork in his cruiser outside the Kmart when Sims approached his car, the officer said. Sims was to begin as an employee at the store that day, said Gavalier. He asked Wojciak for directions to a local credit union.

Wojciak said he began to register alarm when Sims told him to get out of his car.

"At that time, I didn't know what I had," he said. "I put my car in drive and did a big U-turn."

Sims again approached Wojciak's cruiser and asked him to exit the vehicle. Shortly after, he fired the .22-caliber pistol positioned one foot away from Wojciak's chest, the patrolman said.

It was the first time an Austintown police officer has been shot in the line of duty in about 30 years, said Gavalier.

After the shooting, Wojciak began pursuing his assailant, who was running into the woods behind the store, he said. Wojciak struck him with his cruiser in an attempt to disable him. During the pursuit, Wojciak fired two shots at Sims; neither, however, found its target, he said.

"I wasn't scared. Your instincts and training take over," he said. "My intention was to immobilize him because my belief was that he still had a weapon and if he already shot at me, what was he going to do to someone else?"

Sims surrendered after about six officers arrived to back up Wojciak, he said. Sims was transferred to St. Elizabeth Health Center where he was treated for injuries caused by the police car.

He was being held at the Mahoning County Jail without bond until 9 a.m. today, when he was scheduled to be arraigned in Mahoning County Court here. He could face 20 to 25 years in prison if convicted under the current charges, said Gavalier.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007