BY GREGORY A. HALL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON -- An arrest warrant issued Monday for Brian Wagers ended a wild 24 hours, starting with his being shot at and ending with nine misdemeanor charges being filed against him.
Mr. Wagers had been scheduled for arraignment Monday on felony charges stemming from an April arrest of trafficking in marijuana while in possession of a firearm, and tampering with evidence. When he failed to appear, Kenton Circuit Judge Patricia Summe issued the arrest warrant and set bond at $50,000.
Twice the day before, Mr. Wagers was in and out of the Kenton County Jail after Stacy Wolfe paid $200 each time to get him out.
Mr. Wagers was arrested both times on misdemeanor charges stemming from a shooting earlier Sunday at his home at 315 Western Ave.
Another man in the residence, Rocky Michel, 21, was shot. He was at University Hospital in critical condition on Monday. Mr. Michel also was supposed to be in Kenton District Court on Monday for an unrelated traffic offense.
Bryan A. Marsh, 21, of Elsmere, pleaded innocent on Monday to a first-degree assault charge in connection with the shooting of Mr. Michel. A preliminary hearing will be held June 25.
Three other people are charged with conspiracy to commit assault: Justin Cornett, 18, and Mark Lashinski, 21, both of Elsmere; and James Harris, 22, address unknown.
Mr. Cornett and Mr. Lashinski also are charged with carrying a concealed deadly weapon.
All three pleaded innocent and are due in court June 25 for preliminary hearings.
The incident began Sunday afternoon, police say, when the four men went to Mr. Wagers' Western Avenue residence.
Mr. Michel was wounded when a bullet passed through the door, said Covington Police spokesman Lt. Col. Steve Schmidt. A chase followed and another shot was fired in the parking lot of the nearby Willie's Sports Cafe.
Police detained Mr. Wagers at 501 Crescent Ave. Mr. Wagers began beating his head against a window screen in a police cruiser and kicking a door window, according to police records filed in Kenton District Court.
After slipping his handcuffs, he was taken out of the car to be recuffed. According to police, Mr. Wagers began fighting and kicked Sgt. Danny Jackson. The officer tackled Mr. Wagers, who threatened to kill the officer. He also threatened another officer's family. In connection with those incidents, he was charged with assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and terroristic threatening. That arrest took place at 6:30 p.m. and he was released at 9:05 p.m.
Minutes later, Mr. Wagers returned to the scene of the shooting and demanded to be let into his residence. After being denied, he waited with friends nearby.
Officers heard Mr. Wagers tell the friends he wanted to be let back inside the residence to get his guns and kill the people who shot Mr. Michel, whom he called his cousin, according to police and court records.
He was arrested again at 9:34 p.m. and again placed in a cruiser. He told the officer putting him in the car that he knew where she lived and she should watch out, records state. Police said he broke the rear passenger window with his head, splattering shattered glass on the back and neck of the officer.
While traveling to jail the second time, he again threatened an officer, according to the report. He repeated the threat on a video camera at the jail.
In connection with the second episode, he was charged with three counts of terroristic threatening, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and wanton endangerment.
He is due in court Wednesday.
Mr. Wagers had been at the courthouse Monday morning, though, when the men who are charged in the shooting were arraigned. Deputies got a report of a fight in a stairwell and got there seconds later to find the fight was over, said Sheriff's Deputy Patrick Morgan. Mr. Wagers and another man were escorted out of the building.
The men could not be arrested because deputies must actually see a fight to make an arrest on a misdemeanor charge, Deputy Morgan said.
