Man accused of hitting 2 cruisers, stealing a third

A Columbus man who authorities say triggered a pursuit early Wednesday by crashing into a Reynoldsburg police cruiser and later stealing a Whitehall police cruiser is facing multiple charges after he was released from an area hospital.

Reynoldsburg police said the incident began about 12:35 a.m. Wednesday, when a vehicle driven by Frederick Pace, 29, of the West Side, passed a Reynoldsburg cruiser traveling east on East Livingston Avenue. Pace suddenly stopped his vehicle in the road, put it in reverse and rammed the cruiser at a high speed, police said.

The suspect then took off, triggering a chase that entered neighboring Whitehall around 12:40 a.m., Whitehall police said.

During the pursuit, Pace struck the same Reynoldsburg police cruiser head-on, then hit a second Reynoldsburg cruiser multiple times on Brice Road, Reynoldsburg police said.

Stop sticks were used by Columbus police to stop the vehicle near East Main Street and Noe Bixby Road.

Pace ran into a nearby wooded area, authorities said. Police from several jurisdictions searched for him and he eventually came out of the woods.

Pace then got into a Whitehall police cruiser that was left running and unattended, and drove off.

Whitehall, Bexley, Columbus and other police officers then chased the stolen cruiser, Whitehall police said.

Stop sticks were again used to disable the cruiser near the intersection of East Broad Street and Grant Avenue, Downtown.

Pace then ran a short distance before he was taken into custody.

One Reynoldsburg officer was injured during the pursuit. That officer was treated at a local hospital and released, police said.

Pace was taken to Ohiohealth Grant Medical Center for observation. He faces multiple counts of felonious assault on a peace officer, as well as felony fleeing and theft, according to court records.