Man involved in Austintown shooting investigation speaks out
One of the men who says he was shot at by a bail bondsman during a chase that allegedly started in Warren and ended in Austintown says there was never a shoot out. Brian Clay of Warren tells 21 News, "I know they was the only ones that fired. None of us had a gun. None of us fired a gun." Clay says it was his car that got boxed in, run into a guardrail and chased to Silica and North Turner Roads in Austintown on Friday by men who now say they worked for Bad Boyz Bail Bondi...
One of the men who says he was shot at by a bail bondsman during a chase that allegedly started in Warren and ended in Austintown says there was never a shoot out.
Brian Clay of Warren tells 21 News, "I know they was the only ones that fired. None of us had a gun. None of us fired a gun."
Clay says it was his car that got boxed in, run into a guardrail and chased to Silica and North Turner Roads in Austintown on Friday by men who now say they worked for Bad Boyz Bail Bonding in Warren.
But at the time Clay says the men never identified themselves.
"I was scared. I hit the gas, and drove through them. The jeep kept chasing me and drove all the way out through Lordstown and Austintown and ended up on a dead end road," Clay said.
The men from the bail bonding company were allegedly in pursuit of Clay's friend James L. Foster who was in the car with him.
Foster was wanted for allegedly jumping bond on three misdemeanors: theft, driving under suspension and drug paraphenalia.
"My buddy jumped out and took off running and I backed up and turned around. The jeep was blocking the road. I went into the grass on the left. It would be on his passenger side, and he started shooting at my car," Clay said.
Bail Bondsman Phil Lambert told police the suspect fired at him first and that's when he opened fire. Firing his gun three to four times.
Austintown Police detectives are now investigating the bondsman's story about whether there was an actual exchange of gunfire.
Only one gun was recovered and that was from the bail bondsman.
Gunshot residue tests were done on all involved. Police are awaiting the results from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Clay says, "This is how these guys (bail bondsmen) operate. They're going to run you off the road. They're going to do what they can. It's dangerous. It's dangerous."
In the end not only were three men from the suspect car arrested, but Daniel Day of Bad Boyz Bail Bonding also had an active arrest warrant for having no operator's license, speeding and failing to show up to court three different times.
Bad Boyz Bail Bonding was contacted twice and said no one was available to comment.
