RICHLAND COUNTY, OHIO, Ohio — Ohio State Highway Patrol Officers arrested Jeremy A. Reynolds, a 31-year-old from Mount Pleasant, after he led troopers on a multi-county pursuit. During this pursuit, Reynolds was involved in a standoff, stole a patrol cruiser, and carjacked another vehicle.
The incident occurred at 1:09 p.m. on Sunday, March 6.
Highway Patrol from the Mansfield Post were attempting to catch up to a suspected stolen vehicle that pulled out of the westbound rest area on US-30 near Interstate 71 in Richland County. Once troopers neared the vehicle on Reed Road the car began driving recklessly and a traffic stop was attempted. The vehicle did not stop, beginning the pursuit.
The car continued eastbound on US-30, exiting at state Route 309 and drove through numerous roads striking multiple vehicles. Due to the damage caused by those crashes the fleeing vehicle become disabled in the yard of a residence on Millsboro Road, between Lexington-Springmill Road and Lexington-Ontario Road.
The vehicle was disabled, yet Reynolds refused to comply with commands to exit the vehicle from troopers, Richland County Sheriff’s Office deputies, and Ontario Police Department. After 10 minutes of refusal, the female passenger screamed and then a suspected gunshot was heard.
For approximately the next 30 minutes, Reynolds continued to refuse the order to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was smoking heavily and eventually caught fire forcing Reynolds and the passenger out of the vehicle. They moved toward a State Highway Patrol cruiser when shots were fired by law enforcement on the scene. Reynolds and the female passenger then fled in that patrol car that already had its overhead emergency lights activated.
Reynolds fled eastbound on Millsboro Road, and other connecting roads, until once again entering US-30 eastbound. He then stopped the patrol car on the shoulder of US-30 and carjacked a minivan, leaving the minivan’s driver and passenger at the scene. He also left the initial female passenger at the scene and continued to flee. The pursuit ended on state Route 511 when troopers made intentional contact with the minivan, where Reynolds was taken into custody.
Reynolds and the initial female passenger were taken to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Reynolds has been incarcerated at Richland County Jail. The driver of the minivan was taken to an area hospital for minor injuries. No officers were injured.
