A 38-year-old Boardman man was shot and killed about 3:00 p.m. on Monday at a home at 5011 Lockwood Blvd.
      Dead is Michael Spera, of 4010 Hopkins Rd. Initial reports indicate that police believe that Spera was shot multiple times in the torso by the resident of the Lockwood Blvd. home, identified as Kevin Neal, 42.
      Neal, in the past, had filed reports claiming Spera had threatened him, according to police reports.
      Police were sent to the Lockwood Blvd. home on a call of a burglary in progress. A resident of Old Harbour Place, located behind 5011 Lockwood Blvd. had called police advising that a dark green Dodge Stratus was in the driveway of the Lockwood Blvd. home and a man got out of the car, walked to the rear of the home where he broke out a window with a rock and entered the residence.
      Ptl. Bill Bowers and Ptl. Paul Poulos were first to answer the call, arriving at the Lockwood Blvd. home to see the Stratus trying to get out of the driveway. The car had been impeded by a Boardman Local School bus.
      As Bowers and Poulos approached the Stratus, a white man, identified as Brandon Hosa, 28, of 3915 Eden Rock, Canfield, fled from the car on foot. He was brought down by a taser in his lower back and was immediately handcuffed.
      As Hosa was being detained, Officer Poulos said that Neal stepped-out of a garage door of his Lockwood Blvd. home and told police “He’s dead (referring to Spera). I shot him. He had a knife and wouldn’t stop coming at me, so I shot him. He’s dead.”
      Poulos reported that Neal said he had two guns. The officer noted he observed a silver kitchen knife laying on the floor near Spera’s right hand. as blood pooled underneath his bullet-riddled body.
      Neal denied consent to process his home and search for evidence until he spoke with his attorney, J. Gerald Ingram, Officer Poulos said.
      A neighbor of Neal’s told police the green Dodge Stratus was believed to have traveled up and down Lockwood Blvd. no less than eight times on Tuesday.
      After Neal spoke with counsel, police entered the home and recovered ‘numerous items’ of evidence, Officer Poulos said.
      Hosa was charged with resisting arrest, obstruction, murder and complicity to burglary.
      Neal and Spera have a lengthy history with the Boardman Police department.
      In Mar., 2012, Jennifer Stitzel, 29, of 411 Rhoda Ave., Youngstown, was arrested on a warrant for a probation violation, after Spera filed a complaint alleging that Stitzel had assaulted him and another woman, identified as Delilah Lucas, 40, an RN who resides at 2532 Chestnut St., Girard. At the time, Spera told Ptl. Jamison Diglaw he thought Ms. Stitzel was upset because she believed she was pregnant with his child, but he was engaged to Lucas. Sepra claimed.
      In June, 2011, Neal filed a menacing by stalking complaint with Boardman police, alleging he was being harassed by Spera, who told him over the telephone “You don’t want to mess with me. You know I’ve killed one person, and there are two more they don’t know about.” At the time of the report, police noted Neal had been granted a temporary protection order against Spera.
      In Mar. 2011, Neal filed a report claiming telephone harassment and extortion by a woman who had demanded $500 from him or she would claim he had assaulted her. According to that report, Neal paid the woman $300.
      In Aug., 2011, Spera called police stating a friend his only knew as Dave, was staying at his home when Dave ‘became unresponsive.’
      In Nov. 2010, Spera was arrested by Boardman police at 4010 Hopkins Rd. on charges of domestic violence, drug abuse (heroin), as well as possession of drug abuse instruments and drug paraphernalia. A complaint claims that Spera had assaulted his 62-year-old father, Joseph. While investigating that complaint, Ptl. Jon Martin said that police executed a search warrant that resulted in the drug-related charges.
      When Joseph Spera and his wife, Jackie, refused to bail their son out of jail, Mrs. Spera told police that Michael “told her he was going to make up stories about her touching his kids inappropriately to get back at her for not paying his bail money.”
      In June, 2009, Spera was arrested by Ptl.