WMMS' Rover, 'Chocolate Charlie' Plead Not Guilty In Court

Rover In Court

CLEAR CHANNEL Rock WMMS/CLEVELAND morning host SHANE "ROVER" FRENCH pleaded not guilty to 13 charges, including assault on a police officer, attempted felonious assault, vandalism, unauthorized possession, sale or discharge of fireworks and resisting arrest in court earlier TODAY (10/16). CLEVELAND.COM reports that ROVER's bond was continued at $5,000 and he was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.

FRENCH's on-air sidekick, MICHAEL "CHOCOLATE CHARLIE" TOOMEY, pleaded not guilty to 11 charges related to the incident. His original bond continued and was told not to have contact with the victims in the case.

The two were arrested early in the morning on JULY 5th for an alleged incident on WHISKEY ISLAND (NET NEWS, 7/8). According to the police report, off-duty police officer STEVEN KINAS asked FRENCH and TOOMEY, both of whom appeared to be highly intoxicated, to stop shooting off illegal fireworks. They refused and hot fireworks in his direction.

The off-duty officer "pushed both males to the ground" and showed his badge, the report said, and friends came to take FRENCH and the other man away. KINAS "turned to walk away," but FRENCH charged KINAS "and pushed him with both hands in his back, stating, 'I don't believe you're a police officer.'"

FRENCH said after his indictment (NET NEWS, 10/3) that his attorneys had possession of surveillance video and had interviewed eyewitnesses in the case. "I will tell you with 100% certainty that when all of these facts are brought to light that I will prevail in this matter and the truth will come out," he said. "After that happens, I will take steps to make sure that this doesn't happen to anyone else."

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