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Police seeking suspect in shooting, chase

BOARDMAN — Authorities are still looking for a man they say led police on a chase after shooting at another driver.

Major Jeff Allen of the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office said law enforcement has a suspect in the case, but no arrest has been made yet. He said no one was injured in the incident.

The Boardman police report states that at about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about gunshots at Westford Place, just west of Boardman, on U.S. Route 224. Boardman police Ptl. Thomas Zorzi heard over the radio that the suspect vehicle, a black Hyundai Sonata driven by a man wearing a red face covering, was being followed down 224 by the victim in a White Cadillac Escalade.

The report states that Zorzi followed updates via radio and searched the area for the vehicles. In his rearview, he saw the Escalade turn onto West Boulevard from 224. He turned around and soon caught up with them at Shields Road, then followed the Hyundai towards Glenwood Avenue.

When he tried to pull it over on Glenwood near West Boulevard, the Hyundai accelerated to high speeds and he followed it onto Midlothian, but lost sight of it and ended the pursuit at South Avenue. The chase lasted only three minutes and covered just under 2.25 miles.

Zorzi reported that he returned to search the area of Glenwood and Shields, along with other officers, where they believed the suspect had thrown out his gun. While searching, a sergeant from Ohio State Highway Patrol called to say their agency had used Flock traffic safety cameras to follow the vehicle and read its license plate, and provided the owner’s identity and address. They also said the owner’s son has been a subject of interest for the Ohio Investigative Unit on more than one occasion.

During Zorzi’s pursuit, another officer arrived at Glenwood and Shields, where he met the Cadillac driver. The man told Ptl. Kaneesha Tensley that the incident began when he came to a stop, heading east on 224, at the West Boulevard red light. He said the man in the Hyundai, heading west, pulled in front of him, jumped out, pointed the gun and said “I will shoot you.” He told police the gun had a laser sight and the red laser was pointed at his chest.

He said the Hyundai driver then headed west and he turned his Escalade around to follow him. When they got to Westford Place, he said, the Hyundai driver stopped at the brick sign, and again pointed the gun at the man and told him to quit following him and that everything he was doing was legal.

He said the Hyundai driver then got back into his car and proceeded to stop in the Wendy’s parking lot. The man drove his Escalade a little further and stopped in the parking lot of Haus Auto Group. He began taking pictures of the Hyundai’s license plate and that was when the driver fired nine shots in his direction, then pulled back onto 224 and headed east into Boardman. The man said he followed the Hyundai until Boardman police picked up the pursuit.

The report states that Mahoning County deputies will be investigating the shooting, while Boardman police will pursue charges of aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor, and failure to comply with the order of a police officer, a fourth-degree felony.

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