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Trial date set in assault and firearm case | News, Sports, Jobs
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Trial date set in assault and firearm case | News, Sports, Jobs

WARREN — A jury trial has been scheduled for a Bazetta man facing multiple charges in a superseded indictment.

Brett Budd, 41, of Jacoby Road, McCleary, was charged in connection with a Feb. 26 confrontation that turned violent, according to court records and witness statements.

He faces two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm specification, one count of discharging a firearm in or near restricted facilities, aggravated assault with a firearm specification and use of a weapon while intoxicated.

The superseding indictment was the case included in a special Trumbull County grand jury report released Thursday.

After nearly nine hours of deliberation on October 25, the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict, and Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice declared the jury hung.

The new trial date is scheduled for January 13, 2025, according to court records.

During the first hearing, which lasted two days in Rice’s courtroom, Deputy County Prosecutor Kevin Trapp presented testimony from witnesses including Ohio State Patrol officers and local law enforcement.

The defendant took the stand in his own defense and detailed the events leading up to the fight.

The defendant said the incident happened when he encountered a man and woman at Leon’s, a bar in Howland, where they began chatting. The trio crossed paths again that evening at another local bar, The Rig.

Budd testified that the man offered him cocaine, but he refused. When the group left the bar, the defendant and the couple left in separate vehicles, but the collision, which occurred at the intersection of East Market and Henn Hyde Road, led to a fight between the trio.

The defendant claimed that after the collision, the man in the other vehicle became aggressive and started threatening him.

After a brief verbal argument, the defendant attempted to drive home despite damage to his truck, including a flat tire. The couple allegedly followed the defendant to his home, which led to the defendant taking an AR-15 rifle from the house and shooting from the front porch.

The defendant claimed he only fired a warning shot to scare the couple into leaving his property. However, the bullet hit the woman’s hand.