Sheriff of Lorain County: Individual charged with assaulting 2 police officers in Sheffield Village apprehended after search

A man named James Douglas Meadows, who is accused of assaulting two Sheffield Village police officers in Lorain County and then evading capture, has been apprehended by law enforcement officials, as per information obtained by 3News.

As reported on the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page, the 37-year-old Meadows was arrested without any issues. The U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force detained him on Thursday evening behind the Coke distribution plant in Elyria.

Meadows was arraigned on Friday morning in Avon Lake Municipal Court. His case will be reviewed by a Lorain County grand jury.  

The LCSO declared on Thursday afternoon, shortly after 3 p.m., that the search for Meadows in the vicinity of Russia Road, spanning between State Route 58 and Annis Road, had been terminated.

“If you have any information on the suspect, please contact local authorities,” the department added in its post.

The NOVFTF was leading the pursuit for Meadows, a 37-year-old man wanted on a warrant.

During an earlier briefing on Thursday afternoon, officials stated that they had set up a perimeter in New Russia Township and were actively searching a 3-square-mile area for Meadows. They noted that the area is wooded with streams and walking paths. 

At a second briefing two hours later, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fitzgibbon told reporters that investigators believed that Meadows broke the perimeter and left the scene. He was suspected of still being in the region before being captured.

According to officials, the search for Meadows escalated Thursday morning when U.S. Marshals found him at a gas station in Elyria. He allegedly tried to hit officers with his car before fleeing on foot.

Law enforcement, including LCSO, the Elyria Police Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), U.S. Marshals, U.S. Border Patrol and K-9 units, were all involved in the search. Drones were also deployed to assist in locating the suspect.

According to Sheffield Village Police Chief William Visalden Jr., on Saturday, March 22, officers stopped a vehicle and the passenger, identified as Meadows, allegedly provided a false name. When officers attempted to handcuff him, he allegedly resisted, claimed his wrist was broken and fled the scene.

Despite attempts to stop him with a Taser, he escaped. North Ridgeville police assisted in a search, but did not locate the suspect. One officer was injured during the incident and received medical treatment at the hospital. The officer has since recovered.

In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, officials noted that just before 8 a.m., the U.S. Marshals received a tip that Meadows was at a gas station near Russia and Oberlin Roads in Elyria. 

When attempting to take Meadows into custody on a warrant for assaulting the two Sheffield Village police officers, “he operated very dangerously. Acted very recklessly. Used his motor vehicle to attempt to strike several officers when they were attempting to effect the arrest,” said Hall. 

A short pursuit ensued, ending when Meadows abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot.

The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office also noted that Meadows has a prior history of evading arrest. 

The full 1:15 p.m. press conference can be watched below: