01-05-2025
Youngstown officer convicted of lesser charge in OVI case
GIRARD, Ohio (WKBN) – A Youngstown police officer received his sentence Thursday in a case where he had been accused of driving while intoxicated.
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Joshua Rivers was convicted of a lesser offense of physical control while under the influence as part of a plea agreement. Charges of improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle and speeding were dismissed, according to Girard Municipal Court records.
Court records state that the gun seized during the traffic stop, a Sig Sauer P320, will be returned to Rivers. His driver's license suspension was also lifted, court records state.
Rivers was ordered to pay fines and court costs, as well as attend a 72-hour driver intervention program in lieu of serving three days in jail. He will be on non-reporting probation for two years, court records state.
A trooper with the Ohio State Highway Patrol pulled over the vehicle Rivers was driving on state Route 11 in Liberty Township just before midnight March 15. The trooper reported that River was speeding and driving erratically and that Rivers refused to undergo field sobriety tests.
Rivers had been working at the police department but was taken off the road following his arrest. Youngstown Police Staff Lt. Brian Butler said Rivers' status remains unchanged and that he has been working with judicial driving privileges but now that the case has been adjudicated, he will face administrative disciplinary action.
Gerry Ricciutti contributed to this report.
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