MASSILLON, Ohio — A man was arrested by Massillon police following a high-speed chase and the discovery of a large amount of methamphetamine in a plastic bag.
Officers said the case underscores the issue of meth continuing to be a major concern in Northeast Ohio.
Early Monday morning, police were conducting traffic enforcement when they spotted a "suspicious driver" who was covering his face with his arm. Police also noted an equipment violation for a hitch covering the license plate.
Officer Joshua Grimes said he tried to pull over the 52-year-old driver on Cherry Road NW, but he took off at a high rate of speed creating a pursuit that lasted about 10 minutes.
"It was very reckless, very reckless," Grimes said. "I know a couple of times I was looking down and it said at least 100 mph. The average speed probably was about 75 to 95 the whole time."
The driver eventually ditched the car in a field off Alabama Avenue in Dalton and started running.
Grimes, along with Sgt. Anthony Crabtree and his K9, Luiz, began to give chase. After Crabtree threatened to release the dog, the man laid down in the field, police said.
"The suspect immediately just belly-flopped arms out to the side," Grimes said.
Dash cameras and body-worn cameras captured the chase and the arrest. After the driver was in custody, the officers focused on his car and found more than half of a pound of suspected meth in a plastic bag.
Grimes said that's considered a large amount for the city of Massillon.
"I wasn't expecting to see at least a little over half a pound of meth," Grimes said. "It's very rare that you find that large amount of narcotics on the street at once."
The man was booked into the Stark County Jail on multiple charges, including drug possession, failure to comply and driving under suspension, Grimes said.
Lt. Nick Antonides said the meth problem continues to be significant and there's an added concern that the drug is often mixed with fentanyl, a dangerous opioid.
"You don't know the dosage, and this amount of methamphetamine, it could be anything," Antonides said.
News 5 reviewed overdose records from the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office and found that since 2022 there have been 312 overdose deaths. In 132 cases— or 42%— meth was listed as the cause or a contributing cause to the deaths.
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