Authorities shoot armed man following I-77 chase

Authorities shot an armed suspect who led them on a pursuit on Interstate 77 that ended just north of Cambridge on Tuesday morning.

William Carson Teter, 49, of Columbus, was treated at the scene for injuries that were not life-threatening, transported to Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center in Cambridge and later taken to Ohiohealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, according to the Cambridge Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The highway was closed in both directions from Newcomerstown to Cambridge during the investigation.

According to a news release from the Cambridge post, at about 3:30 a.m., troopers attempted to stop a 2012 Volkswagon Jetta driven by Teter for a marked lanes violation in Guernsey County.

According to the patrol, the vehicle initially stopped before taking off and leading both troopers and Guernsey County sheriff ’s deputies on a chase.

Troopers utilized stop sticks to attempt to disabled the vehicle. Teter continued to drive northbound on I-77 with deflated tires.

Teter advised the Cambridge dispatch center when they contacted him that he would not stop and was threatening suicide. He also stated he had a weapon in the vehicle, the patrol said.

Teter then drove across the median into oncoming traffic in the southbound lanes where he almost struck a commercial vehicle head-on.

Troopers forced Teter’s vehicle into the median, where it stopped. Teter exited the vehicle brandishing a firearm, and shots were fired by troopers and sheriff ’s deputies, the release said.

According to the patrol, Teter was struck in the upper right shoulder from the gunfire and surrendered.

The incident is under investigation by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.