A Summit County family is voicing fear and anger after a judge reduced the bond for the man accused of murdering their loved one during a domestic dispute in Barberton. The incident occurred on April 14 at the intersection of E. Paige Avenue and 3rd Street NE, where 25-year-old Nathan Flight of Canton was fatally shot.
Police said Flight was attempting to help a close friend reach a domestic violence shelter when the confrontation unfolded, local CBS affiliate WOIO. His father, Jason Flight, expressed frustration over the court’s decision to grant the accused suspect house arrest.
“The judge let the killer out so that he could go home to be with his family. I don’t get to see my son again. I’d like to know if Judge Rowland would do the same thing if it were her child, because I don’t think she would,” he said.
During a hearing last Wednesday, Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands reduced the bond for 29-year-old Justice Oney from $1 million to $250,000. With the option to post just 10 percent, Oney was able to leave jail after paying $25,000. He is now under house arrest.
The victim’s sister, Sarah Flight, said the ruling puts others at risk. “My brother’s life and the loss of his life were worth more than $25,000,” she said. She also voiced concern that Oney, facing the possibility of life in prison, may feel he has nothing to lose.
Oney has been indicted on charges of murder, felonious assault, and abduction. Police reported that after fatally shooting Flight, Oney forced his wife into a vehicle at gunpoint.
According to Barberton Police Officer Marty Eberhart, Flight was not part of the dispute but was there to support his friend, Oney’s wife. “He was just there to talk to her because she was obviously upset and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Eberhart explained.
First responders arriving at the scene found Flight lying on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Police apprehended Oney shortly afterward, a short distance from the crime scene, without incident.
A GoFundMe launched by Flight’s family says his life was “tragically cut short due to gun violence as he attempted to help a friend in need.” It describes him as a “bright and shining light” to the people he knew.
As the case moves forward, Nathan Flight’s family says they are left grieving while feeling unsafe. They continue to question how the court system could lower the bond for a man accused of such violent crimes, believing the decision has only deepened their pain.