An Ohio mayor named Wesley Dingus runs over wanted sexual battery criminal ‘on accident’
An Ohio mayor’s actions made for a wild story this summer when he participated in apprehending a criminal. Security camera footage captured the moment that Bellville Mayor Wesley Dingus struck a man with his sedan. The kicker is, the man had a warrant for sexual battery, and the police chief was on the scene.
The Ohio mayor struck the wanted criminal with a red sedan and then used the car to block his escape
The mayor of Bellville, Ohio, had an unorthodox role in stopping a criminal, and he used his car to do it. Mayor Wesley Dingus struck Anthony Ward, a criminal wanted by police for sexual battery and parole violations, with a red sedan to prevent him from getting away.
Dingus reportedly saw Ward in the passenger seat of a nearby car. The Ohio mayor then chose to follow Ward, all the while calling the chief of the Bellville Police Department.
That’s when Ward’s grandmother, who was driving the car at the time, pulled into a gas station. Dingus and the Bellville police chief weren’t far behind.
Ward, noticing the police chief, told him that he “was not going back to prison.” Seriously, he went for the cartoony, “you’ll never take me alive, copper,” line.
The Bellville Police Department says the refusal to go quietly resulted in a “scuffle.” The criminal broke free and ran for it. Although the Ohio mayor said it was “by accident,” he struck Ward with his red sedan.
The hit was substantial. “Ward’s left leg got caught in the wheel well and was sucked under the car,” Police Chief Fletcher said. That’s when Dingus’ car passed over Ward’s left leg.
Interestingly enough, Chief Fletcher told the press that the mayor was “technically” within his rights to detain Ward. “A mayor, technically, is the top law official in any given town,” Chief Fletcher said at a press conference.
Seems like a questionable move at best. While a mayor can sometimes remove or suspend members of law enforcement, they typically do not have formal arrest powers. Or the right to hit people with cars, really. Check out a news video of the event below!
