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Video: Man opens fire on Ohio officers, leads multiple agencies on pursuit

An initial pursuit by Wooster PD was abandoned after a cruiser was damaged by the suspect’s gunfire; he was later captured by the Dalton PD and Ohio State Highway Patrol

WOOSTER, Ohio — New dash cam and body camera video shows a dramatic pursuit of a suspect who fired multiple times at officers, WOIO reported.

According to the Wooster Police Department, the incident began on April 2 following a report of a stolen license plate. Investigators entered the license plate into the Flock Safety camera system and traced it to to a silver Honda Pilot, according to police.

An officer located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, dash cam video shows. The suspect immediately exited the vehicle and fired several rounds at the officer, striking the windshield of the cruiser.

The officer returned fire, and the suspect fled the scene in the vehicle. Due to gunfire damage to the police cruiser, Wooster police did not continue the pursuit, according to the report.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol later located the suspect’s vehicle, prompting a second pursuit. Dash cam footage from the highway patrol shows the suspect leading officers through residential areas and eventually onto a highway. The suspect then fired more rounds at officers, but officers did not return fire during this part of the pursuit, the Wooster Police Department stated.

As the suspect attempted to exit the highway, troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and officers from the Dalton Police Department collided with the vehicle, bringing the pursuit to an end in Wooster.

The suspect, whose name has not been released, was taken into custody and transported to a hospital, according to the report. Police said his injuries were life-threatening from an apparent gunshot wound.
No officers were injured in the incident. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation.

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Joanna Putman is an Associate Editor and newswriter at Police1, where she has been covering law enforcement topics since August 2023. Based in Orlando, Florida, she holds a journalism degree from the University of Florida and spent two years working in nonprofit local newsrooms, gaining experience in community-focused reporting. Married to a law enforcement officer, she works hard to highlight the challenges and triumphs of those who serve and protect. Have a news tip? Email her at news@lexipol.com