A Pickaway County sheriff’s deputy has been charged with assault stemming from an arrest back in April.
On April 30, the South Bloomfield Police Department was attempting to stop a vehicle on U.S. Route 23.
The driver did not stop and led multiple agencies in a pursuit from South Bloomfield to Ashville and back.
The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office said they got involved in the pursuit after the vehicle went off the road through a field near Renick’s Farm Market.
The suspect then crashed into a ditch and was taken into custody. A use of force complaint was then filed with the sheriff’s office when the suspect was detained.
The sheriff’s office said they reviewed body and dash camera footage from the arrest and placed Deputy Ryan J. Howard on administrative leave pending the investigation.
According to court documents, Howard is accused of striking the suspect in the face with a closed fist, making false statements in an official police report and failed to render or offer first aid to a person in a crash.
In addition to an assault charge, Howard is facing counts of falsification and dereliction of duty.
The sheriff’s office said an investigation to terminate Howard’s employment is also underway.