Elyria man gets 8 years for trooper assault

An Elyria man was sentenced to eight years in prison Aug. 15 for assaulting an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper in January.

Cornelius L. Carey Jr., 44, pleaded guilty to one count of felonious assault, three counts of kidnapping and single counts each of obstructing official business and resisting arrest for the Jan. 11 assault that saw the trooper being transported to the hospital with serious injuries, authorities said.

The trooper was dispatched to check the welfare of Carey, who was walking in the road on Diagonal Road near Biggs Road, just outside the village of LaGrange.

When the trooper made contact with Carey, the two got into a tussle and the trooper was struck in the face for several minutes until other troopers arrived to offer aid, police said.

Carey previously had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the case, and was ordered by Lorain County Common Pleas Court Judge Raymond Ewers on March 7 to undergo a year of treatment in order to be able to stand trial.

Ewers ordered another report April 23. On May 30, Carey was found competent to stand trial.

During the hearing, both prosecutors and representatives of the Highway Patrol pushed for a sentence of 11 years, but Ewers chose eight years, according to Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will.

Carey