ROSS COUNTY, Ohio – A traffic stop on Massieville Road escalated into a brief police pursuit Wednesday evening, resulting in the arrest of a Ross County man on multiple charges.
According to the Ross County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Jacob Johansen observed a 2012 Subaru Forester traveling northbound on Massieville Road around 9:25 p.m. with its tail lights off. When Deputy Johansen activated his patrol lights near Toad Hollow Road, the vehicle, driven by Rocky Conley Sr., accelerated and attempted to evade law enforcement.
The pursuit continued for roughly half a mile, with the vehicle struggling to maintain speed up a hill, before coming to a stop. Conley surrendered by placing his hands out the window. Deputy Taylor Jackson arrived to assist and took Conley into custody.
A passenger in the vehicle, Jamie Osborne, told deputies that Conley may have fled because he was experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Deputies located an unloaded syringe on Conley’s person, and Osborne confirmed it was used for drug consumption. A K-9 unit was deployed and gave a positive alert for narcotics, though no illegal substances were ultimately found in the vehicle.
Further investigation revealed Conley had an outstanding warrant from the Ohio State Patrol. He was cited for driving without a license and a tail light violation, and was charged with:
- Failure to Comply (F-3)
- Possession of Drug Abuse Instruments (M-2)
Conley was transported to the Ross County Jail where the charges were processed. The syringe found on Conley was safely disposed of in a sharps container.
