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State Rep. Bob Young indicted on domestic violence, assault charges after allegedly striking wife

Ohio state Rep. Bob Young, who represents portions of Summit County in eastern Ohio, has been indicted on domestic violence and assault charges.

SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — One week after first being arrested for allegedly striking his wife and fighting with his brother, Ohio state Rep. Bob Young has been indicted on the following charges by a Summit County grand jury:

  • One Count of Domestic Violence – a Misdemeanor of the 1st Degree
  • One Count of Assault – a Misdemeanor of the 1st Degree

According to a release, the case will be remanded back to the Barberton Municipal Court. The Barberton City Prosecutor’s Office will handle the prosecution.

The charges against Young -- who currently represents much of southern Summit County in the 32nd District -- stem from incidents involving his wife and brother that occurred on the morning of July 7.

According to a police report, officers were dispatched to a residence in the City of Green at 9:40 a.m. on July 7 for a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, officers made contact with Young's brother, who told police that the lawmaker had attempted to gain entry into his house without permission.

The brother proceeded to explain that his sister-in-law — Bob's wife — came to his residence at 2 a.m. seeking safe haven because Bob had allegedly assaulted her. He also said that Bob was attempting to make contact with his wife and children at the house, which he wasn't going to allow due to the circumstances.

Rep. Young's brother stated that after he saw Bob pull into his driveway and park, he exited the residence and stood on the front step. The brother claimed he told him that he was not welcome there and that he would not allow him into the house.

Rep. Young then allegedly lowered his shoulder and charged at his brother in an attempt to gain entry into the house. A scuffle ensued with his brother pushing him, with Bob going through a glass storm door. The brother also suffered cuts on his arms during the incident.

Bob's wife told police that the initial incident occurred at 1 a.m. at the couple's residence in Green. She told police that her husband was yelling at her friend when she stuck her hand in front of the representative's face to stop him from yelling.

Rep. Young's wife said that he proceeded to grab her arm and strike her in the right side of the face with an open hand. During the argument, she told him she was going to call 911, at which time he allegedly grabbed the phone out of her hand and threw it into the pool.

The couple's daughter also told police that while watching through a window, she observed Rep. Young strike her mom and throw her cell phone in the pool when she said she was going to call police.

Rep. Young's wife requested a temporary protection order

After news of Young's arrest was first made public, Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens — a fellow Republican — called for him to resign.

"I was disappointed and shocked to hear what allegedly transpired sometime after I had left the Young house," said Stephens, who was at the Young household following a fundraiser prior to the incident. "Although I believe that people are innocent until proven guilty, I asked Bob for his resignation as state representative so he can focus on his family at this time."

After the indictment against him was announced on Tuesday, Young released the following statement to 3News:

"Following the unfortunate events of July 7, there has been some inaccurate and unfair speculation on social media and elsewhere. This is a case that’s in the courts now, so I can’t talk about the details.

"However, I can say this: no one is above the law and that includes me. I expect to be treated in the same way as any other Summit County resident would be in a similar circumstance.

"Recently, I have undervalued Christ as a priority in my family’s life. I love my wife and my family, and they are most important to me. As a State Representative with a business, and a busy family of six, my life has been very stressful lately. On this particular evening at my home, we had some drinks and I acted poorly and said things I shouldn’t have. My behavior, while not criminal, was inappropriate and out of character. I apologize to everyone involved, including and especially my wife and children. I also apologize to my constituents.

"I take pride in serving the people of my district and will continue to serve them even as I work through these issues. I know there are better days ahead, which is why I’m voluntarily entering a counseling program to address some of the issues that led to this incident.

"I ask fair-minded people for grace to allow my family and I to deal with this privately and to reserve judgment until all the facts can be brought to light."

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