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Lisbon cop resigns after OVI charge

LISBON — The village police officer charged with driving drunk and having a handgun with him at the time has resigned.

Trevor O’Rourke, 22, of Canfield, resigned Friday after meeting with village police Chief Mike Abraham.

“He resigned for personal reasons,” Abraham said of O’Rourke. “He was a very good officer and a good kid, but one mistake can change it for you. It’s a shame.”

O’Rourke was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle following a traffic stop on Canfield Road in Mahoning County at 11:20 p.m. Wednesday. This was after he reportedly went off the road and almost hit two mailboxes before nearly striking a county sheriff’s deputy on patrol.

According to the arrest report, O’Rourke had a strong odor of alcohol and admitted having three mixed drinks at the Outback Steakhouse. He flashed his police badge and also told the deputy there was a gun in the car — a 9 mm semi-automatic Glock that was recovered from the vehicle.

O’Rourke had slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet. He was administered a field sobriety test but it was stopped when he was unable to perform one of the tests. He reportedly refused to take a breathalyzer test.

O’Rourke was arraigned Friday in Mahoning County Area Court in Canfield, and a preliminary hearing on the charges is scheduled for Oct. 5. He could no longer work as a police officer if convicted of the firearms offense because it is a felony.

Abraham said O’Rourke was hired in April as a part-time officer and promoted to full-time on Aug. 14.

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