Trish Bennett, Editor
CIRCLEVILLE – Investigators are still sorting out details of an officer-involved shooting and pursuit Tuesday in Ashville that ended near the Red Barn on state Route 188.
Detective Dale Parish, Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office, said many specific details cannot yet be released due to the ongoing investigation, but the incident began about 8:23 p.m. on state Route 752 in Ashville.
“It started with the fire department in Ashville notifying Ashville Police to check out a suspicious person they thought may have had a gun,” Parish said.
Ashville Police responded and attempted a traffic stop, he said, and when the officer approached the vehicle, the suspect reportedly began to drive erratically and “came at the officer” with the vehicle.
The officer, who remained unnamed Wednesday afternoon, fired his weapon at the vehicle and then pursued the suspect as he drove out of the village.
The officer was joined by deputies from the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office and Circleville Police in the pursuit, which ended in a crash outside Circleville on Route 188.
Parish said the suspect suffered a bullet wound in the area of his upper thigh or buttocks and is currently being treated at a Columbus hospital.
Charges against the suspect are pending in the case, he said.
Chief Doug Clark, Ashville Police Department, said the investigation is being handled by the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office and the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
“Due to the fact that one of our officers was involved in it, an outside jurisdiction is handling it so there will be no question that it will be done right,” Clark said.
He said the officer was not injured in the incident, and he has been placed on paid administrative leave for the time being. Clark said that is standard procedure whenever an officer is involved in a shooting incident.
Parish said more details will be released as the investigation continues.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
