A Bellefontaine resident is facing felony charges relating to a pursuit with law enforcement officers from multiple departments Monday afternoon along U.S. Route 33 in Union and Logan counties after he initially would not comply during a traffic stop in Dublin with Dublin Police Department officers.
Deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office report Jeremy M. Ebner, 39, of 233 S. Madriver St., was taken into custody once he finally stopped his vehicle in the area of U.S. 33 and County Road 5 after two of his tires were flattened by law enforcement deploying stop sticks.
He was charged with felony county of failure to comply with the order of signal of a police officer and felonious assault. He was first transported by Tri-Valley EMS to Mary Rutan Hospital for treatment of bite injuries from K9 Thor after he failed to comply during the stop.
The defendant was lodged in the Logan County Jail about 7:45 p.m.
Ebner’s brother, Joshua A. Ebner, 26, of the same address, was a passenger in the vehicle, and deputies said he also was transported by paramedics to Mary Rutan Hospital for treatment. He was released, pending charges of resisting arrest and failure to comply that have been sent to the Logan County Prosecutor’s Office for review
About 4:10 p.m., deputies patrolling in the area of U.S. 33 and the Logan and Union county line received a report of Ebner’s vehicle that fled from the traffic stop with Dublin officers.
Deputies ran the license plate information for the driver, and found that he had an active Logan County Common Pleas warrant for criminal trespass, felony assault and resisting arrest.
Troopers of the Marysville Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol observed the suspect vehicle in Union County, but said the driver failed to comply to the audible siren and emergency lights.
Deputies said as the suspect approached the Logan/Union county line where they were stationed, Ebner’s westbound vehicle merged from the left lane of U.S. 33 off the left side of the road into the break-down lane, close to a deputy’s cruiser.
Deputies threw stop sticks into the break-down lane in attempt to stop the vehicle, but they said the suspect merged back into the left lane of U.S. 33 and continued westbound.
Then in the area of U.S. 33 and State Route 292, deputies and troopers attempted to box in the suspect vehicle, but Ebner reportedly struck a trooper’s cruiser and attempted to force the cruiser off the roadway into the median.
However, a trooper working a construction detail in the area was able to deploy stop sticks at that location and deflated the suspect vehicle’s two front tires. The vehicle finally came to a stop in the area of C.R. 5.
Deputies and troopers then conducted a felony traffic stop with the vehicle and ordered Ebner and his passenger to exit the vehicle. The pair reportedly did not comply for three minutes, so K9 Thor was deployed.
Deputies opened the driver’s door and released the canine. K9 Thor reportedly bit the driver’s thigh and then the driver grabbed at the dog’s snout and twisted it. While the dog whimpered in pain, deputies punched the defendant’s head to get him to release the dog. K9 Thor then bit the driver’s arm and the defendant was eventually placed into custody.
While interacting with Ebner, deputies observed that his mannerisms were sluggish and his pupils were constricted. He received stitches at the hospital for his bite injuries, and would not admit to drug or alcohol consumption, deputies said.
A report has been sent to the Logan County Prosecutor’s Office for additional charges for the driver as well, including assaulting or harassing a police dog, operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and reckless operation.