AKRON, Ohio (WOIO) - A threat and alleged stalking incident at a Springfield Township IHOP Saturday night escalated into a police pursuit and officer-involved shooting Saturday night.
Springfield Township Police Department charged 34-year-old Jeffrey Latson, from Georgia, with three felonies and a misdemeanor for his actions in Springfield.
The pursuit traveled through two communities and ended with Akron officers shooting and injuring the suspect, who was driving a semi-truck.
Sources say the incident began at the IHOP on South Arlington Road, where the suspect was believed to have driven from Tennessee made threats.
Customers who heard the threats called Springfield Township Police.
"If he doesn't make that phone call, things would have, I'm confident, would have escalated inside the restaurant," says Springfield Township Police Chief Jack Simone.
As Springfield Township officers attempted to remove Latson from the truck, he fled.
One officer suffered a concussion and a broken leg during the confrontation as he tried to get away from the moving vehicle.
"It's disturbing that his thought was just to leave the area after pushing our officer out of the vehicle, clearly the officer's injured, that he had no regard for the officer's safety. And that was our concern about being on the highway," said Simone.
The suspect then traveled south on South Arlington Road and onto I-77 North, crossing into Akron.
Sources say the suspect was driving only the cab of the truck when he left the IHOP, but at some point during the pursuit he hitched onto a trailer in Akron -- a trailer sources say may have been stolen.
Akron officers were alerted and located the semi-truck in a parking lot on East Market Street, but the suspect fled again.
Lieutenant Michael Murphy, the Public Information Officer with Akron Police, described what followed.
"The driver of the semi went to the exit parking lot, struck several cruisers, headed westbound on East Market Street, struck a number of civilian vehicles as well before striking another police cruiser," Lt. Murphy said. "When our officers encountered him they fired multiple shots, striking him at least one time."
Latson was taken to an area hospital to be treated for his injuries and is in police custody.
19 News cameras captured video of bullet holes in the truck's windshield at the scene on East Market Street, where shell casing markers and crashed vehicles remained visible.
Latson was charged with felonious assault, willful fleeing, obstruction of official business, and aggravated menacing.
19 News has requested police body camera video and 911 calls from Akron Police as well.
Along with the Springfield Officer who broke his leg, it's suspected two other officers may have suffered minor injuries.