WMMS’ “Rover” pleads not guilty

0

Shane FrenchShane French, host of “Rover’s Morning Glory” at the heritage Cleveland rocker pleaded not guilty 10/16 to more than a dozen felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from an altercation with an off-duty police officer in July at the Whiskey Island Marina, reported Cleveland.com.


Charges include inducing panic, assault, criminal damaging and resisting arrest. Police said French, who was partying at the marina, aimed fireworks at the off-duty officer and then shoved him and ran away in an effort to avoid being arrested.

French’s sidekick, Michael Toomey, a.k.a. “Chocolate Charlie,” faces 11 charges. According to the indictment, a boat and an SUV were damaged. Off-duty officer Steven Kinas told police he was on his boat, saw fireworks and found French and another man “highly intoxicated.” They refused to stop shooting fireworks, Kinas told officers, and instead shot fireworks in his direction.

Shortly after his arrest, French spoke about the incident on his show, saying he could not discuss the factual details. He went on to call the allegations “absolutely absurd, ridiculous and not based in fact whatsoever.”

French said his attorneys had possession of surveillance video and had interviewed eyewitnesses in the case: “I will tell you with 100 percent certainty that when all of these facts are brought to light that I will prevail in this matter and the truth will come out. After that happens, I will take steps to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

According to police, French was partying at the marina and aimed fireworks an off-duty Cleveland police officer who was on a boat. French then shoved the officer and ran away in an effort to avoid being arrested, according to reports.

French’s on air sidekick, 28-year-old Michael Toomey, known as “Chocolate Charlie” also faces 11 charges related to the incident. He also pleaded not guilty, had his original bond continued and was told not to have contact with the victims in the case.

According to the indictment, a boat and an SUV were damaged.

See the Cleveland.com story here