An Austintown man is behind bars, facing several criminal charges, after allegedly stealing an Uber driver's credit cards, buying drugs, and running from police; a string of events which prompted an investigation into accusations about excessive use of force. 

Twenty-six-year-old Robert Koby, III was arrested late Saturday night after an alert Uber driver reported that they were being victimized. 

According to a police report, a 60-year-old Uber driver called police saying that Koby had taken his bifold with his debit and credit cards and had gone into Speedway gas station to put charges on the cards.

The driver told officers that he had picked up Koby on Birch Trace Drive and drove him to Speedway, where he thought Koby stole his wallet from the center console. 

A report says the driver then took Koby to a "run-down gas station on South Avenue" 

The driver told police that he then took Koby back to Speedway, at which point he checked his bank account and found $742 in unauthorized charges. 

Police responded to the gas station at that point, however, Koby allegedly ran from the gas station. 

One officer said that because they knew Koby's address from where he was picked up by the Uber, he went to wait for Koby to arrive. 

According to that officer's account, Koby approached the home walking through the backyards of neighbors' homes. 

The officer says that he was standing behind a tree, but when Koby approached he jumped out and yelled "Police!". 

The report accuses Koby of turning and running, however, an officer says he was able to catch up and take him down using a "straight arm bar takedown". 

The account of the arrest says the officer saw Koby throw an object into tall weeds, then put his arms near his chest. 

An officer's statement says that the officer knew Koby had heroin on him and may be trying to eat the narcotics. The report says Koby was ordered to put his hands behind his back but refused. 

A report says the officer grabbed Koby and squeezed between his jaw and his throat "to keep him from eating an swallowing narcotics". 

At that point, Koby allegedly moved his hand away from his mouth and an officer reportedly saw a paper bindle with suspected heroin in his hand. 

The officer wrote, "Upon seeing this I immediately slid my left hand passed his throat and placed my left arm under his throat and placed my right arm under his right arm and bear hugged him in this position rendering his right arm, which was holding the bindle, incapable of reaching his mouth again. I then picked Koby up and took him to the ground to the rear of me." 

A narrative by the officer states that Koby dropped the bindle, but continued in his attempts to get away and get back to the suspected drugs, at which point the officer said that he picked Koby up and "took him back to the ground in the opposite direction". 

Koby then allegedly said, "all right, all right, you got me". 

A report says additional police officers arrived at the scene and Koby was taken into custody. Koby then allegedly told officers that his neck hurt because he had been "slammed to the ground and choked out". 

Koby was then reportedly transported to the Austintown Police Department where he was recorded in an interview telling police that the officer never identified himself, charged at him, and "threw him around". 

Investigators say that Koby also told them that he could not move his arm or shoulder and was having difficulty breathing from being thrown around. 

A report says officers took pictures, however, Koby had no visible injuries. 

Officers say Koby was taken to the hospital to be checked for injuries, but was later released and transported to the Mahoning County Jail. 

The report says that investigators followed up later, interviewing neighbors who reported that they heard the officer yell that he was police and repeatedly tell Koby to surrender. 

In addition, officers say they used evidence markers to determine the scene of the scrambling between the officer and Koby and determined the Koby had run from police. 

Koby is being held in the Mahoning County Jail on several charges including misuse of credit cards, theft, resisting arrest, and possession of heroin. 

He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.