Ohio police pursuit ends in armed standoff in Adams Co.

BERNE, Ind. (Fort Wayne’s NBC) - Indiana State Police (ISP) says two men are now in custody after they led multiple police agencies on a lengthy pursuit that started early Tuesday morning in Ohio.

Police say around 12:05 a.m. on Tuesday, the Riverside Police Department (RPD) in Ohio received a report of a stolen semi-tractor. RPD says they located the semi-tractor on I-70 and attempted to stop it, leading to a lengthy pursuit where the suspect allegedly fired shots at the officers. They say multiple stock stick devices were used in the pursuit, flattening multiple tires on the semi-tractor.

Around 2:15 a.m, the suspect drove through Adams County, Indiana, and Adams County Sheriff deputies joined the pursuit. The pursuit continued until the semi-tractor got stuck in a ditch near the intersection of Salem Road and CR400S, about 4 miles northeast of Berne. Once the semi-tractor was stuck, police say the suspects barricaded themselves inside the cab.

One suspect, 26-year-old Michael James McGee of Dayton, Ohio, surrendered without further incident around 5 a.m., ISP says. Then about 10 minutes later, police say they located a second suspect, 29-year-old Nicholas R. Mingus of Ghent, Kentucky, hiding in the cab. ISP says gunshots were fired from inside the semi-tractor and struck the SWAT vehicle windshield.

Police say SWAT then deployed tear gas into the semi-tractor and Mingus surrendered. As Mingus was exiting the semi-tractor, ISP says a fire ignited in the cab but the source has not yet been confirmed.

Both Mingus and McGee were taken to the Adams County Jail and were booked on the following criminal charges, with the possibility of further criminal charges to follow: attempted murder, auto theft, and resisting law enforcement. The investigation is ongoing at the time of this report.

Copyright 2022 Fort Wayne’s NBC. All rights reserved.