OHIO — A 19-year-old Cleveland man was arrested Thursday afternoon after authorities say he rammed multiple vehicles while attempting to flee during a drug trafficking investigation in Lake County.
According to the Lake County Narcotics Agency, agents were conducting an investigation around 2:40 p.m. in the area of Euclid Avenue and Rockefeller Road when they observed a suspected drug transaction in a parking lot.
Agents, along with Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers and Wickliffe police officers, approached the suspect vehicle in an attempt to block it in and arrest the driver. Authorities said the driver of a white GMC Acadia accelerated in the parking lot and struck an unoccupied vehicle before ramming a marked state trooper’s patrol vehicle and an unmarked Lake County Narcotics Agency unit.
Officials said the SUV then turned west onto Euclid Avenue but only traveled a short distance before becoming disabled. The driver was taken into custody without incident.
Authorities did not release the name of the suspect.
During the investigation, agents said they seized more than an ounce of suspected fentanyl, a half ounce of crack cocaine, three grams of powder cocaine, packaging supplies, a digital scale and approximately $1,400 in cash.
The suspect was arraigned Friday in Willoughby Municipal Court on several charges, including possession of fentanyl, possession of cocaine, two counts of trafficking in crack cocaine, two counts of assault on a police officer, possession of criminal tools, and fleeing and eluding.
Officials said the man is being held in the Lake County Jail without bond. Investigators added that the incident highlights the dangers officers face when suspects attempt to flee during drug investigations.
