Witness: Viewer-recorded movie of cross-county police pursue in MOV
WTAP News at 5-WaCo Police Chase-3/15/17
MEIGS COUNTY, Ohio – UPDATE: Two:00 P.M. Trio/15/17
WTAP viewer Chris Buchanan, possessor of B & D Market in Reedsville, Ohio, shot movie of the police pursue, which is included in this article.
UPDATE: 12:40 P.M. Three/15/17
A man who led authorities on an hours-long police pursuit through several counties in Ohio and West Virginia is in custody in Meigs County.
Jason Austin, 34, was arrested shortly after eight a.m. after crashing his stolen Jeep in the parking lot at Eastern Local High School in Meigs County.
According to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, Austin was dreamed for on several felony charges including robbery, resisting arrest and escape. They also say he has a history of drug manhandle and violent tendencies.
The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office say Austin is being held pending his extradition to Fairfield County.
Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks says his office was called in to help with a pursuit that began in Athens County just after three a.m. when deputies found Austin at a rest stop on Route 50.
Mincks says Austin fled through Athens County and into Belpre, crossing the Belpre bridge into Parkersburg. That’s when the Wood County Sheriff’s Office and Parkersburg Police joined in the pursuit.
Authorities say Austin crashed his car in at Parkersburg Memorial Gardens.
At that point, authorities say he fled on foot before getting into another vehicle and taking off again.
The pursuit then continued back onto Route seven and Route thirty three toward Athens, with speeds exceeding one hundred mph.
According to the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office:
Austin reached the Athens County line at Rainbow Lake road before turning around and continuing east on Route 33.
He then turned east on Route six hundred eighty one where he avoided numerous attempts to stop him using Stop Catapults.
The pursue continued into Tuppers Plains where Austin turned onto a side street and drove through some yards, causing harm before avoiding Stop Plunges again. He then headed south on Route 7.
That led him to the parking lot at Eastern High School where he crashed into a fence before being taken into custody.
Two Meigs County sheriff’s cruisers were bruised during the case.
A school district official says the school was placed on lockdown for about twenty minutes after officials were informed of the situation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The district notified parents of the lockdown in a phone call.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office and the Parkersburg Police Department were among those assisting in the pursuit.
UPDATE: 8:30 AM Trio/15/17
MEIGS CO., Ohio (WTAP) – Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks confirms that Jason Austin was arrested just after eight AM in Meigs County near Eastern Local High School.
UPDATE: 8:Legitimate AM Three/15/17
LANCASTER, Ohio (WTAP) – Officials with the Lancaster Police Department tell us that the suspect was arrested shortly after eight A.M. in southeastern Ohio.
Dispatchers with the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office say the suspect is 34-year-old Jason A. Austin. Austin is facing several charges including felony robbery, weapons while under disability, resisting arrest, and escape. He is considered armed and dangerous. He’s been known to manhandle drugs, is considered an escape risk, and has shown violent tendencies. There is a warrant for his arrest out of Columbus for a weapons disturbance.
ATHENS CO., Ohio (WTAP) – Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks says his department was called in to help with a pursuit that began around three A.M. Wednesday in Athens County.
Athens County deputies located a vehicle driven by a man dreamed from Fairfield County, Ohio at a rest stop on Route 50. As deputies approached the vehicle, the driver fled.
A pursue began that went through Athens County into Washington County. The suspect was chased by Athens Co. deputies and Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers. The driver crossed Belpre-Parkersburg Bridge. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office was called to assist as well as the Parkersburg Police Department.
The driver crashed his car near the Parkersburg Memorial Gardens Cemetery and fled on foot. K-9 Units were called in to help with the manhunt.
The suspect then is said to have stolen a green two thousand fifteen Jeep. Authorities located the suspect and another pursuit began. The suspect led deputies and troopers into Meigs County where the pursue is ongoing.