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Richmond man arrested after incident at baseball fields

STEUBENVILLE — Eric Kovachic, 32, of 210 S. Park St., Richmond, was arrested by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department after he allegedly pointed a rifle at children near the Richmond baseball fields on Sunday afternoon.

Witnesses said Kovachic was holding the rifle as he approached the ballfields shortly before 5 p.m. on Sunday, forcing parents and children to run for cover, a deputy said.

One man initially approached Kovachic who attempted to talk him into dropping the rifle, a deputy said. Two other men approached Kovachic, with one man asking to shake hands with Kovachic and trying to convince him to put down the rifle, while the other man grabbed the rifle and pulled it out of Kovachic’s hands, a deputy said. The men then detained Kovachic until deputies could arrive. No shots were fired.

Kovachic said he was welding in his shop at his house when he saw juveniles inside the shop, the sheriff’s department reported. Kovachic said he grabbed the rifle and went after the juveniles, a deputy said. The juveniles said Kovachic pointed the rifle at them.

Kovachic denied he pointed the rifle at the juveniles, saying he only “wanted to get his point across.”

The sheriff’s department reported 10 more weapons were removed from Kovachic’s residence.

He was charged with inducing panic, aggravated menacing and felonious assault.

“That took a lot of courage for that guy to reach out and take the gun (from Kovachic),” said Sheriff Fred Abdalla.

(Law can be contacted at mlaw@heraldstaronline.com.)

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