New Boston, OH – March 10, 2025 – A New Boston police officer was assaulted outside the department’s station on Saturday morning, prompting an urgent response from law enforcement.
According to Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman, the incident occurred on March 8, 2025, at approximately 8:34 a.m. The New Boston Police Department Dispatch Center issued a distress call reporting that an officer was being attacked in the station’s parking lot. Deputies from the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office, along with Portsmouth Police officers, responded to the scene.
The officer sustained injuries in the assault and was transported to Southern Ohio Medical Center, where he was treated and later released. The suspect, identified as Kaleb D. Ruth, 18, of Wheelersburg, Ohio, was also taken to the hospital for observation due to suspected drug use but had no visible injuries.
Investigators determined that Ruth was behaving erratically in the police department’s parking lot before attempting to steal a vehicle. When the officer intervened, Ruth knocked the officer’s taser from his hand and repeatedly struck him in the face and head. Ruth then attacked a bystander and attempted to steal his vehicle as well. The civilian assisted the officer in restraining the suspect until additional law enforcement arrived.
Ruth was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including:
- Felonious Assault on an Officer (1st-degree felony)
- Robbery (3rd-degree felony)
- Two counts of Grand Theft Auto (4th-degree felony)
- Retaliation (3rd-degree felony)
He is currently being held at the Scioto County Jail on a $120,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Portsmouth Municipal Court on Monday, March 10, 2025.
Sheriff Thoroughman confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, and additional charges will likely be presented to the Scioto County grand jury at a later date. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Sergeant Jodi Conkel at 740-351-1091.
