What started as a police pursuit in Dayton, Ohio quickly turned into a wild crime spree after a suspect allegedly ditched a stolen SUV, came back for a police cruiser and then crashed the stolen squad car straight through a house.
According to Dayton police, officers were dealing with a chaotic situation around 11:45 p.m. Thursday, September 3, near West Third Street and Gettysburg Avenue when a Toyota SUV came flying through an intersection officers were using to block traffic. Police said the SUV crossed into oncoming lanes, struck a street sign and continued driving recklessly.
Officers chased the vehicle and were able to stop it using a pursuit termination technique. But the driver wasn’t trying to go quietly.
Police said the suspect jumped out of the SUV and took off running into a nearby backyard. Officers chased after him but eventually lost sight of him.
And this is where things went completely left.
Instead of getting away from the scene, police say the suspect came back and jumped into an unattended Dayton police cruiser.
Officers reportedly ordered him out of the cruiser, but he allegedly ignored them and took off in the police vehicle. As he fled, the stolen cruiser struck another police cruiser, triggering another pursuit.
That chase lasted only about two minutes before the suspect allegedly drove the stolen police cruiser directly through a home on Greenway Street.
The impact caused major damage to the residence, with reports indicating the cruiser went through the house and ended up sticking out through the other side.
Two people were inside the home at the time, along with a dog. Both residents were taken to the hospital with injuries that were described as non-life-threatening. The suspect was also taken to a hospital following the crash.
But even after crashing through someone’s house, police say the suspect wasn’t finished.
According to Dayton police, the man allegedly attacked an officer during the struggle to take him into custody, bit the officer and attempted to grab the officer’s firearm.
Officers eventually managed to restrain him.
Seven Dayton police officers were injured while taking the suspect into custody. Six officers were transported to the hospital for treatment and were later released, according to police.
Investigators later determined that the incident may have been connected to an even bigger string of crimes that happened earlier that night.
Police say the same suspect was believed to have been involved in reported assaults and attempted carjackings in nearby Moraine. Authorities said a semi-truck driver reported being assaulted during an attempted carjacking, while two other people also reported being assaulted and having their SUV stolen. That SUV was allegedly the same vehicle involved in the Dayton pursuit.
Then came another major development.
Authorities said the suspect was also wanted in connection with a homicide investigation in Miami Township. Police responding to a welfare check reportedly found a woman dead from a gunshot wound inside an apartment. Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation was assisting with that investigation.
At this time, authorities have not publicly released the suspect’s identity or a complete list of charges. The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office is expected to determine the charges stemming from the chaotic night.
Dayton police also said their Professional Standards Bureau will review the incident.
What started with a reckless driver allegedly blowing through a police scene ended with a stolen police cruiser crashing through an occupied home, multiple officers injured and investigators connecting the suspect to several serious crimes across the Dayton area.
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