Civil Rights & Constitutional Law
Criminal charges filed against Trump and Vance for Springfield, Ohio conduct; arrests sought
September 24, 2024
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Coach Vaughn Butler, Lt. Matthew Tippie, and Deputy Tyler Grant—all charged.
BARNESVILLE, OHIO — A Barnesville High School football game erupted in chaos on October 25, 2024 after Union Local High School assistant coach Vaughn Butler violently attacked a spectator during the game’s halftime, criminal charges filed today allege. Charges filed through private-citizen affidavits allege that Butler assaulted local resident Brent Gay and engaged in disorderly conduct at the event largely attended by students and their families.
Two law-enforcement officers, Lt. Matthew Tippie of the Barnesville Police Department and Deputy Tyler Grant of the Belmont Couty Sheriff’s Office, also face charges for their alleged criminal dereliction of duty, and in Grant's case alleged obstruction of justice, after the attack.
The affidavit filed by Mr. Gay alleges that Lt. Tippie allowed an off-duty sheriff’s deputy, Tyler Grant, to hide Butler in the locker rooms and prevent questioning of Assistant Coach Vaughn Butler. Mr. Gay's affidavit is accompanied by affidavits from two witnesses to Butler's attack.
Police body-camera footage shows Lt. Tippie leaving the bleeding victim in handcuffs, and entering the locker rooms to question Butler, only to be intercepted by Deputy Tyler Grant—who was working with the coach. Grant redirected Tippie to wait until after the game. Butler can be seen in the background, surrounded by other coaches.
Bodycam footage of Lt. Tippie's "investigation" and failure to arrest, and Deputy Grant's efforts to shield Vaughn Butler following Butler's alleged attack on Brent Gay. This video is Exhibit 1 to Mr. Gay's criminal charging affidavit in the Belmont County Court, Western Division.
Ohio law requires law-enforcement officers to apprehend perpetrators of crime when it is within their power to do so, regardless of whether that officer is on-duty or off.
Despite multiple eyewitnesses submitting statements verifying Mr. Gay’s account, Belmont County prosecutors declined to file charges against any of the men involved, instead sending Mr. Gay a letter reading, “it may be wise to evaluate your conduct to determine if the same could be perceived as offensive” and ordering Mr. Gay: “do not contact this office.”
This was, to Mr. Gay, a miscarriage of justice and blaming of the crime victim to avoid holding public officials accountable.
Union Local High's leaders likewise have apparently failed to investigate or hold Butler (or Grant) to account.
The criminal charges.
The affidavit submitted by Mr. Gay criminally charges Butler, Tippie, and Grant as follows:
Parallel violations of Barnesville municipal ordinances were also alleged.
Mr. Gay filed the criminal charges with the court under the authority granted to private citizens by Ohio Revised Code Sections 2935.09(D) and 2935.10(A). Those statutes authorize private citizens to “file an affidavit charging the offense committed” and empower the reviewing court to issue arrest warrants and summons to the offenders after finding probable cause.
Spurred by the law-enforcement impropriety and Belmont County Prosecutor’s Office’s bizarre, blame-the-victim letter—and its total failure to prosecute, Mr. Gay’s filings ask the court to find probable cause based on the facts and video evidence presented and to issue either arrest warrants or summons for Butler, Lt. Tippie, and Deputy Grant.
Subodh Chandra, Mr. Gay’s lead counsel and a former City of Cleveland law director and federal prosecutor, said:
Law-enforcement officials, including police and prosecutors, who are investigating crimes must not give special treatment to police officers or public officials. There are no “get out of jail free” cards for officers’ pals or public officials—and that’s what seems to have happened here. Violent attacks in our communities deserve nothing short of prompt investigation and action by local prosecutors. So do cover ups by cops.
Fortunately, Ohio law allows private citizens to bypass prosecutors and police officers who take such a corrupt approach to their duties and initiate criminal charges for judicial review for probable cause. The police and prosecutor’s office deprived Mr. Gay of his rights as a crime victim, and to add insult to injury, the prosecutor's office even ordered Mr. Gay to not contact it. That’s why, to obtain criminal justice, he’s pursuing his only remaining recourse.
The initially assigned judge should ensure that a truly independent judge and special prosecutor are appointed to review the matter. The court submission establishes that there is probable cause these individuals committed the alleged offenses. Let's face it: anyone else would’ve been prosecuted by now.
Mr. Gay is represented by Chandra Law’s Subodh Chandra and Ethan Dawson.
The charges, filed in the Belmont County Court, Western Division, can be read here.
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