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Loxley ruled immediately after a hearing on Tuesday in Warren County Court.
During the hearing, Assistant County Prosecutor Amy Gill and defense lawyer James Calhoun questioned Springboro Sgt. Randy Peagler, the officer who reportedly pulled over Ronan after observing him in a road-rage incident.
Peagler told Gill he followed Ronan for about 0.3 miles after turning on his lights and sirens and that Ronan went back to his car and began walking toward him with a blue bag and his cellphone, flash on and recording for Facebook Live.
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Peagler said he hurt his foot and suffered road rash wrestling with Ronan, who recently contested the re-election of Congressman Steve Chabot in the May primary.
Calhoun established that Ronan, a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, never put his hands on Peagler during the altercation and that Ronan, although permitted to carry a concealed weapon, was apparently unarmed.
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Calhoun also emphasized that Ronan said he didn’t see Peagler’s police cruiser until he pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex and said there was no “overt act” that supported the felony charge.
Calhoun said Ronan was within his rights to ask why he was being arrested before getting on the ground as ordered repeatedly by Peagler, with his gun and then a stun gun drawn.
But Loxley agreed with Gill, who argued Ronan “absolutely” obstructed justice by resisting being taken into custody by Peagler and another officer who assisted in handcuffing him.
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In addition to the felony, misdemeanor charges of resisting arresting and failure to comply with an officer were also bound over for presentation to the grand jury by county prosecutors.
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