2 arrested following chase
Pursuit throughout Wapakoneta ends with arrest; 2 deputies suffer minor injuries
WAPAKONETA — A high speed chase made its way through Wapakoneta Tuesday afternoon, when a pursuit of a stolen vehicle continued for more than an hour.
The story began in Allen County with the report of a stolen van. An Allen County Sheriff’s deputy spotted the vehicle that was headed south on Interstate 75 and he attempted to stop the vehicle at which point the chase began.
The driver of the stolen vehicle exited the interstate at Exit 111, Bellefontaine Street, and continued west into the city via Benton Street. At some point, the driver made his way onto the Auglaize County Fairgrounds, where law enforcement attempted to corner the vehicle.
The driver crashed the van through a gate near the Auglaize Street entrance to make his way back toward the highway.
The pursuit involved multiple agencies and traversed much of U.S. 33 in the Wapakoneta and St. Johns area. There were multiple attempts to deploy spike strips, including near Wapak-Fisher Road and the U.S. 33 intersection.
As the driver was armed, law enforcement continued the pursuit because of concern for the public.
“We always take into consideration the safety of the public. The subject definitely did not want to be stopped. At one point he did call 911 and threaten officers with a hand gun,” Auglaize County Sheriff Mike Vorhees said.
The van driver didn’t slow down until the vehicle was on fire; it came
to a rest near General Aluminum off of County Road 25A, just south of U.S. 33. At this point, the driver was off the road, traveling between the tree line and fence.
A man and a woman have been taken into custody by Allen County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
Additional details are expected as the story unfolds.
“It was a long, lengthy pursuit,” Vorhees said. “No one was seriously injured. We do have a couple of officers being checked out for minor injuries,” Vorhees said, adding those injuries are related to the process of bringing the individuals into custody.