Dashcam shows suspect in Kent State University utility cart leads wild chase in Ravenna
By: Finding vide,
0:00 - Dashcam
5:12 - Bodycam 1
8:21 - Bodycam 2
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Police cameras were recording as a wild chase unfolded on the streets of Ravenna, but the fleeing suspect was not in a high-performance sports car or truck.
The unusual pursuit began on Sunday, after an employee at Kent State University flagged down a Ravenna police officer and reported that it appeared a man stole a small utility vehicle belonging to the university.
The officer quickly caught up with the cart, a Cushman Hauler 1200-X, and recognized the driver, 44-year-old Allan Roy Dluhos.
Dluhos refused to stop and took evasive actions to get away, prompting the officer to call for back up.
Dash camera video shows the suspect drove across several yards and pulled alongside railroad tracks, with police following close behind.
However, as the utility cart and the pursuing officers passed through neighborhoods in Ravenna, residents were not quite sure what they were witnessing.
“I just stepped out to get my dog and next minute I see a guy driving a cart, he looked scared as hell, but I thought it was a parade going on or, you know, there were like three cops behind him, and they were just driving around here,” said Tim Brown of Ravenna.
According to the police report, the suspect nearly hit two children playing outside when he drove across their yard.
He also used the cart to crash into a police cruiser, and investigators say his reckless actions clearly convinced officers to use more aggressive tactics to stop the cart. It also made an impression on residents who thought the suspect had been playing games.
“That’s not good, man. You know, you shouldn’t steal it anyways. I don’t know what happened, but maybe he decided he just wanted to use it,” said Brown.
Eventually, some of the officers raced ahead to the entrance of Ravenna High School and blocked the path of the cart.
Once the vehicle was stopped, they pulled Allan Dluhos out and place him under arrest.
Dluhos has been charged with failure to comply with the order of an officer and criminal mischief.
Dluhos told investigators that he was testing the brakes on the cart and that he could not stop for police because the brakes were not working.
“I’d say it’s pretty farfetched, man, that’s a long way from Kent,” said Brown with a laugh.
During an arraignment hearing earlier this week, Dluhos pleaded not guilty to the charges.