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YOUNGSTOWN - Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene said his department is expected by next week to wrap up an investigation into an alleged assault by three men on a female protester at President Donald Trump's Oct. 12 rally in Youngstown.
Greene's department identified the victim and the three men - two from the area and one from New Jersey - who were allegedly involved in the altercation. Videos show that at least one man punched the woman in the face and pulled her hair.
Greene said his department interviewed the two local men with an attorney present as well as multiple witnesses.
At least one man is likely to be charged with a misdemeanor count of assault, Greene said.
"I'm hoping by next week we'll turn it over to the Youngstown prosecutor," Greene said. "It's going to be misdemeanor assault. We're confident we'll get that."
Greene said his department is still trying to attempt to contact the man from New Jersey, but he is not cooperating.
The victim, Blake Miley, who lives near Columbus, recently told The New York Times that after she stood with a shirt that read: "Release the Epstein files" while yelling "fascist, fascist" in Trump's direction, she was attacked by three men.
Miley told the Times: "I knew there was a really good possibility that this would happen. But I don't blame myself. It is not right what they did to me."
Greene said he expected Miley to come forward and when she didn't his department found her through social media and she subsequently filed a report seeking to press charges.
County Prosecutor Lynn Maro recently issued a statement that "charges cannot be filed based on a video posted on the internet. The video does not capture the entire event."
She wrote that the men cannot be charged with felonious assault or aggravated assault as those "require knowingly causing serious physical harm or causing or attempting to cause serious physical harm by means of a weapon. Under Ohio law, a fist is not a deadly weapon. Serious physical harm is defined under Ohio law as an injury that causes a substantial risk of death, permanent incapacity or temporary partial incapacity, such as loss of consciousness, serious disfigurement, or acute, long-lasting pain."
Maro added: "At this time, all information the (prosecutor's office) has received indicates the incident at the Covelli Centre was a misdemeanor assault. I have responded multiple times confirming that if the investigation reveals use of a weapon or serious physical harm, then, with evidence of a felony, the case will be presented to the grand jury. The suggestion that any pursuit of action on my part or this office's part is somehow attributable to my political party affiliation is, with due respect, absurd."
Maro and Greene are Republicans.
The three men stopped going after Miley when law enforcement officials arrived. Sheriff's deputies removed her while the Trump supporters were permitted to remain at the rally.
When this occurred, Trump stopped speaking rather than trying to deescalate it.
As Miley was removed, and put up two middle fingers while being escorted out, Trump said: "He's a paid protester. They're all paid. They get paid by the lefties in order to destroy our country. They're scum. But he's going back home to mom."
In addition to misidentifying her gender, Trump also made fun of her weight.
After being removed from the Covelli Centre, the woman drove herself to a local hospital, Greene said.