By Kathy Laird
CCN Correspondent
BUCYRUS — Matthew Kunzer, 34, of Bucyrus faced a jury of eight men and four women as his trial began in Crawford County Common Pleas Court. Visiting Judge Robert S. Brown presided over the trial with special prosecutors Micah Ault and Christian Stickan representing the state of Ohio from the attorney general’s office.
According to a 19-count indictment handed down in February by the grand jury, Kunzer is charged with nine counts of a third-degree charge for intimidation and five counts of a third-degree charge for retaliation. The remainder of the counts were misdemeanors related to the felony charges.
In opening statements for the prosecution, Ault outlined the events for the jury. On June 7, 2017 at 11 p.m., Bucyrus Police Department officers, Lt. Jon Dorsey and Jason Pennington responded to a disturbance at the Crazy Fox Saloon.
According to Pennington’s testimony, when he arrived, he was told Kunzer was allegedly trying to fight with a patron. The defendant left the bar before police arrived. While on patrol in the area Lt. Dorsey came into contact with Kunzer and told Kunzer that he was not welcome back at the Crazy Fox and to head home.
At approximately 2:30 a.m., officers received another call from a bartender at the Crazy Fox saying Kunzer returned and was refusing to leave after the bartender told him to.
An altercation ensued, and when police officers arrived and asked him to leave, Kunzer began threatening the officers. Pennington was intervening with Kunzer, when Dorsey reportedly heard Kunzer making threats.
“So now you’re the tough guy in town? I’ll break you,” Kunzer was heard telling Pennington.
Upon hearing the threat, Dorsey ordered Kunzer to be arrested. Kunzer resisted at one point, getting out of the cruiser. He forcibly was placed inside the cruiser.
During cross examination, Motter asked Dorsey if he was wearing a body camera or audio recording device during the incident. Dorsey said that he did not have a working camera on that night.
He said he told Pennington to take Kunzer to the county jail. Pennington transported Kunzer to the justice center and captured a verbal exchange on his dash camera video. Kunzer could be heard threatening Dorsey, calling him vulgar names. Kunzer told Pennington that he had a 13-month sentence hanging over his head if he was charged in this case.
Dorsey said Kunzer could be heard saying on the tape, “When I get out, I’m going to kill all you bitches.”
Kunzer also was reported calling Dorsey other derogatory names.
“I’m going to bury your bitch ass, I guarantee you”, Kunzer said of Dorsey on the tape.
Ault asked Dorsey how he took the threats.
“I take them very seriously,” Dorsey said. “I think I can take care of myself, but I live here and I have a family with young kids and I worry about that.”
The state’s third officer called was officer Adam Cramer. Cramer testified he was on scene to assist. He said stepped in when Dorsey ordered Kunzer arrested.
While Cramer did not hear any direct threats, he said Pennington found the threats unsettling.
Cramer also told the jury he watched the video.
When asked by Motter how he handled interactions with intoxicated and boisterous persons, Cramer said he rarely talks with them or engages them. Cramer said every time he has encountered Kunzer, Kunzer was intoxicated and boisterous.
Motter went on to suggest that officers were taunting Kunzer by interacting with him. Motter also made note that Kunzer was belly down in the cruiser during the transport agitating him even further.
Kunzer will be back in court Thursday, with more testimonies to be heard.