A passenger in an SUV was injured when the driver attempted to hit two Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office deputies. The incident occurred after a traffic stop on Interstate 77 in Ohio. The driver, who had active warrants and no driver’s license, was charged with failure to comply and felonious assault. The injured passenger was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. News 5 Cleveland WEWS reported
A passenger in a 2014 Ford Explorer SUV sustained injuries when the driver of the vehicle accelerated towards two Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office deputies, prompting one of the deputies to fire a shot at the SUV. The incident occurred around 11 p.m. on Interstate 77 at the Strasburg exit in Franklin Township, Ohio. It started when a trooper from the New Philadelphia post initiated a traffic stop on the SUV for a turn signal violation.
After exiting the highway, the SUV pulled into a nearby gas station. The trooper requested backup, and when additional patrol officers arrived, an individual in the back seat of the SUV got out and the vehicle fled from the gas station. Sheriff’s deputies joined the pursuit by using stop sticks near Blacksnake Hill and Schneiders Crossing roads. Although the SUV stopped before hitting the barrier, it then accelerated towards the two deputies. In response, one of the deputies fired their weapon, hitting the front-seat passenger of the SUV.
Despite being injured, the SUV fled again but was eventually stopped on State Route 212. Law enforcement officers took all the occupants into custody at that point. The driver, a 43-year-old man from Gnadenhutten, was found to have active warrants and no driver’s license. He was charged with failure to comply and felonious assault and was subsequently taken to the Tuscarawas County Jail.
The injured passenger was taken to a nearby hospital, where they received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
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