SOMERSET, Ohio — A Somerset police officer fired at a fleeing vehicle Friday morning after the vehicle attempted to strike the officer during a pursuit, according to a Somerset Police Department press release.
Officers attempted to stop the vehicle Friday morning, and the driver fled, leading to a pursuit involving Somerset officers and Perry County sheriff’s deputies, according to the release. The department said the pursuit continued into Perry County.
During the pursuit, the vehicle attempted to strike a Somerset officer, and the officer discharged their department-issued firearm at the vehicle, according to the release.
The vehicle continued fleeing before crashing into a wooded area, and the driver fled the crash on foot, according to the department. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to assist with the incident, according to the release.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation will conduct the investigation into the incident, according to the release.
The department said the investigation remains active and ongoing and that no additional information was available for release Friday afternoon. The release did not identify the driver or provide a description, did not say what prompted the attempted traffic stop, and did not say whether the driver had been taken into custody. Whether the driver was struck by gunfire or injured in the crash was not stated in the release, and their condition could not be confirmed.
