Pickaway County – A man who has been wanted since 2020 was finally caught and sentenced to prison after dodging charges of trafficking in drugs, Failure to Comply, and endangering children.
Brian Woodruff was first arrested on August 26, 2020, a routine traffic stop on US-22 West near the Circleville Water Treatment Plant led to the arrest of Brian Woodruff, who was found in possession of methamphetamine. The incident occurred around 6:53 PM when a police officer pulled over a silver 2012 Honda Civic for speeding.
Upon contacting the driver, Woodruff, he immediately admitted, “sir I’m not going to lie to you, I don’t have a driver’s license.” He produced an expired Florida driver’s license and provided his Social Security number. A check through the Law Enforcement Automated Data System (LEADS) revealed that Woodruff’s Ohio driver’s license was suspended.
During the encounter, the officer noted Woodruff’s parole status and asked him about his parole offense, to which Woodruff replied, “methamphetamine.” When asked for permission to search the vehicle, Woodruff consented without hesitation.
As he exited the vehicle for a safety pat-down, two large bags of methamphetamine fell to the ground. The officer quickly apprehended Woodruff, informing him that he was under arrest and securing him in the back of the cruiser the two bags contained approximately two ounces of meth.
Woodruff was held in Pickaway County jail until he was seen by the courts and he was released after a 25,000 dollar bond was paid.
Fast forward to 1/28/22 when Pickaway County Sheriff had another run-in with Woodruff during a late-night traffic stop led to a high-speed pursuit in Pickaway County after officers attempted to pull over a 2008 blue Hyundai SUV for having a single functioning headlight. The incident began at approximately 11:52 PM on US Route 23, just north of the Main Street exit in Circleville.
When the officer activated emergency lights, the vehicle initially slowed but failed to stop, continuing onto the Main Street exit and then westbound on US Route 22. Speeds during the chase reached up to 92 MPH, with the SUV swerving dangerously between lanes. Despite snowy and icy conditions, the vehicle persisted on State Route 104 at speeds of 75 to 80 MPH.
During the pursuit, the driver lost control, side-swiping a guardrail. As the vehicle slowed to a near stop, two passengers—a woman identified as Jennifer McCall and her young children—jumped from the SUV. The driver, who remained in the vehicle, fled the scene.
Officers detained McCall and her children to ensure their safety and called for emergency medical services (EMS) after McCall reported an injury to her left knee. While waiting for EMS, officers discovered that McCall had an outstanding warrant from Pike County also.
Deputies cut the chase for Woodruff at the time due to care of the woman and children who jumped from the car, but a warrant was issued after Woodruff was identified as the driver. Additional charges of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and endangering children were added to his current list of charges in Pickaway County.
In 2022 Pickaway County Sheriff added Woodruff to the county’s most wanted list, and Woodruff disappeared from the area for several years. In July of this year, Woodruff was arrested on his warrants and faced the courts finally. This week Woodruff. 53 was found guilty of Aggravated Trafficking of Drugs, and other charges and was sentenced to 4 to 6 years in prison and a 7,500 dollar fine.
