RIVERSIDE — Two people suspected of leading police on a pursuit in a stolen semi where multiple shots were fired at police were arrested following a SWAT standoff, according to Riverside Police Maj. Matthew Sturgeon.
The semi was stolen around 12:05 a.m. Feb. 22 in the 1100 block of Brandt Pike. Shortly after it was stolen, Sturgeon said officers attempted to stop it on Needmore Road.
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The truck refused to stop for police and got onto I-75 heading north, and while doing so fired at Riverside Police, Sturgeon said.
“The truck eventually is stop sticked by multiple jurisdictions but refuses to stop,” Sturgeon said.
The chase ended up going onto I-70 and then onto State Route 49 into Darke County.
Eventually the semi drove into Indiana, where it eventually crashed into a ditch around 2:20 a.m. at East 400 South and South Salem Road in Adams County, Indiana and about 100 miles from where it was first stolen.
‘We knew from conversations ahead of time that the suspects in the semi were believed to be armed,” said Sgt. Brian Walker with Indiana State Police. “Adams County does not have a tactical team, so they requested the assistance from the Indiana State Police.”
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The two people in the truck refused to exit and a SWAT team from Indiana State Police responded to the scene.
Walker said one of the suspects, Michael J. McGee, 26, of Dayton, ended up coming out of the semi after several hours around 5 a.m.
“Our SWAT officers went back up and they were doing a secondary search of the semi. They weren’t sure if they had one or two suspects in the semi,” Walker said. “At that time they were engaged by the second suspect that was in the semi with gunfire.”
Walker said SWAT officers showed “extreme restraint” in not using lethal force and instead using gas deployment in the semi.
The second suspect, Nicholas R Mingus, 29, of Ghent, Kentucky, ended up exiting the cab and surrendered to officers around 5:10 a.m.
The semi ended up catching fire and was destroyed, Walker said.
“The exact reason or source has not been confirmed,” Walker said about the fire.
Both Mingus and McGee are booked into the Adams County Jail in Indiana on suspicion of attempted murder, auto theft and resisting law enforcement for the Indiana charges, Walker said.
Sturgeon said the suspects could face charges in Ohio and in federal court.
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