Chillicothe — The Ross County Grand Jury returned all 19 of their cases on Friday, March 15th, 2024, with 10 open for release to the public. From testimony in the the grand jury in one of the cases, according to the Ross County Prosecutor’s Office:
On January 28th, while the Chillicothe Police Department was surveilling a known drug house, an officer attempted a traffic stop on a driver leaving it, in the vicinity of Adams and Washington avenues. The vehicle violated state code with a broken taillight, and the driver violated city code by failing to stop and honk at an alley intersection.
The driver did not stop for the officer’s lights, and instead accelerated from 30 mph to 90 mph while it was raining and the roads were wet on South and North Bridge street.
Stop sticks failed to stop the vehicle, which was raced to Patton Hill Road where the driver crashed the vehicle.
The driver broke through the windshield and tried to run, but the officer was fast enough to detain 45-year-old John A Whitley of Piketon, who said he ran because he had a warrant for his arrest. Two other passengers remained in the vehicle and denied they knew why he ran.
For indictments on third degree felony failure to comply, Whitley could get up to three years and $10,000 in fines.
