BY JOHN A/ DANRELL JR.
      associate editor
      A 43-year-old man who said he had ingested fentynal and pills, walked into Boardman High School last week near 7:30 p.m. (on Wed., Jan. 10) armed with a 9mm pistol, as a band concert, attended by students and parents, was being held in the Performing Arts Center.
      Tim Tuite, assistant director of the Boardman High School Bands and Director of Bands at Boardman Center Intermediate School, told police as he entered the school, a man identified as 43-year-old Christian Williams, of 9040 Shaffer Rd., North Jackson, Oh., followed him into the school.
      Police said that Tuite became suspicious of Williams, whom he observed was carrying a firearm on his waistband. Tuite confronted Williams and after clearing a hallway of students, ordered Williams off school property. Several adults at the school assisted Tuite and they were able to get him to leave the property.
      Police quickly found Williams near Glenwood Ave. where he was confronted by Ptl. Joe Lamping and taken into custody at gunpoint.
      Officer Breanna Jones said that in addition to the weapon, Williams had two, loaded ammunition magazines on his hip, and a socket suspected to be used to smoke crack cocaine was also seized.
      Williams was taken to the Boardman Police Department for booking where Ptl. Jones noted “Williams stated he took fentynal and ‘benzos’ and was beginning to overdose. He was taken to Mercy Health/Boardman and after treatment was lodged in the Mahoning County Jail on charges of possessing weapons while intoxicated, inducing panic, illegal conveyance of a firearm in a school safety zone, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
      About two hours before the incident at the high school, police said Williams was driving along Hitchcock Rd. when his car went off the roadway and struck several mailboxes, and he then fled. The vehicle was located parked on Green Garden Dr.
      After Williams was arrested, police asked the man what happened, to which Officer Lamping said he replied, “What the f--- does it look like, I was in a crash.”
      Williams said he was on Hitchcock Rd. when he went off the road. He refused to take a field sobriety test, and was charged with driving while impaired, failure to control and leaving the scene of an accident.
      Police said a powder substance was observed in his nostrils, and Williams continually nodded-off as officers were attempting to speak with him.
      Officer Lamping noted “an interview was not able to be conducted, as Williams was not coherent or cooperative enough to provide answers.”
      Williams appeared in Boardman Court on Jan. 11 where he entered a plea of not guilty. He claimed to be indigent and the court ordered appointment of counsel at public cost.