The male driver, identified as James Johnson, 34, nearly struck a Five Rivers MetroParks patrol cruiser and eventually hit a utility pole, said Larry Jones, chief of the MetroParks ranger division.
The female driver, identified as Brandy Ewing, 25, attempted to block the path of the MetroParks cruiser as the officer tried to stop the male driver, Jones said.
The incident ended with Johnson and Ewing in jail.
Mullins said some sort of domestic dispute between two people started at a night club in Harrison Twp. in the area of Wagoner Ford Road at about 3 a.m. A man and woman involved in the dispute got into separate cars and started jockeying with one another while speeding down public streets.
Jones said the MetroParks officer first spotted the pair as they streaked down Interstate 75 into the city of Dayton. Jones said rangers are responsible for enforcing the law in and around parks properties.
“But like any other citizen, if our officers see criminal activity going on, they are allowed to act,” Jones said. He said investigators from the ranger division will review the case to confirm their officer acted appropriately in the incident.
From I-75, the cars driven by the feuding man and woman turned onto Dayton surface streets including Broadway, Riverside Drive and Negley Place, Mullins said.
Jones said the MetroParks officer pursued the pair trying to get them off the road. In the area of Negley Place and Orth Avenue, the male driver turned toward the MetroParks cruiser and nearly collided with it head on.
Jones said the parks officer turned around and attempted to catch up to the male, but the female driver interfered by getting into the cruiser’s path. “She got between the cruiser and the man’s car and refused to get out of the way,” Jones said.
Mullins said the male driver approached U.S. 35 from Germantown Street a short time later, and he went the wrong way up a ramp from the highway striking a utility pole halfway up the ramp. By this time, Dayton police officers arrived on the scene, and the man jumped out of his car and attempted to flee on foot, Mullins said.
The man got only about 200 yards from his car and was found hiding in some bushes. The woman was taken into custody at her car, Mullins said.
Jail records indicate Johnson is being held on charges of felonious assault, resisting arrest and obstructing official business. The charges listed against Ewing were driving under suspension and obstruction of justice. Jones said investigators from the ranger division were to meet with prosecutors Tuesday to discuss other possible charges.
Mullins said both the cars in the incident were registered in Johnson’s name. “These are people who seemed to know each other,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2395 or jcummings@DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author