‘Disorderly conduct’ charge prompts hopeful to hit police officer

Senior finance major Christopher Corbett, Undergraduate Student Senate candidate for research and development senator, will be spending election day in the Portage County Jail.

Corbett was arrested Thursday night after 2 a.m. outside The Loft and Zephyr Pub, located on the corner of West Main Street and Franklin Avenue, for disorderly conduct due to intoxication after a warning and assault on a police officer, Patrolman Martin Gilliland said.

Gilliland said a fight broke out outside the bars, which caused a crowd to form.

“There were a lot of fights that night,” he said. “It was the first warm night of the year, so there were a lot of people outside running their mouths and not leaving.”

The Kent Police called the Kent State Police to help in dispersing the crowd. Corbett refused to leave and started using vulgar language towards the police. He was the first person to be arrested. Corbett’s brother was also arrested for disorderly conduct due to intoxication.

“A couple other people were arrested for not dispersing from the area who were not associated with Chris (Corbett),” Gilliland said.

Corbett was only charged with disorderly conduct, but he worsened his charges by hitting Kent Police Department Lieutenant Michael Fleming while resisting arrest.

Corbett was handcuffed and placed in the police car, where he continued to resist officers, Gilliland said.

He attempted to break the driver’s side back-seat window with his head and then succeeded in breaking the window with his feet. This police car door is damaged and needs to be replaced, Gilliland said.

Corbett received injuries including a black left eye and a cut over it. Gilliland said it took four police officers to subdue Corbett.

Assault on an officer and vandalism of the police cruiser are both felonies, which means they carry a maximum sentence of six years in jail. Disorderly conduct after warning is a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of $500 and up to 30 days in jail. Resisting arrest is a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of $750 and four months in jail.

“If Corbett has no criminal history and is found guilty he could receive probation,” Gilliland said.

Corbett was arrested Sept. 4, 2005, for obstructing official business and a noise violation. According to Portage County record’s Web site, these cases are still open.

Gilliland said Corbett has a $25,000 cash bond and will likely be in the Portage County Jail for one to two weeks. Corbett’s preliminary hearing is set for Friday at 8:45 a.m.

Election day for USS is Wednesday. Corbett’s opponent is Kourtney Wolfgang, junior business management major.

Bill Ross, executive director of the USS, said this will not affect his ability to run for senator.

“He won’t be disqualified,” Ross said. “It is his personal choice if he chooses to continue or not.”

Contact student politics reporter Breanne George at [email protected].