POMEROY, Ohio — A male subject who allegedly led the Pomeroy Police Department and the Mason County Sheriff’s Department on a high-speed chase Tuesday evening and then fled on foot was arrested in Pomeroy, Ohio Thursday morning.

Pomeroy Chief of Police Mark E. Proffitt said Ernest Roach, 31, of Reedsville, Ohio was arrested inside a residence at Pomeroy Cliff Apartments based on information the department received from an anonymous tip. Proffitt said that after initially resisting arrest, Roach did comply with officers and was taken into custody by Proffitt, Cpt. Jim Webster and Patrolman Shane Bell.

Proffitt said drugs also were found in Roach’s possession at the time of his arrest. Roach was then turned over to the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office. Proffitt said in addition to facing pending charges from his department, Roach had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in Meigs County Common Pleas Court, a warrant for alleged assault in Meigs County Court and an unspecified warrant from Athens County, Ohio.

The Tuesday evening pursuit began on West Main St. in Pomeroy, extended into Mason County onto W.Va. 62, then onto Lieving Road in West Columbia. According to Mason County Sheriff David Anthony, Roach was pursued by Sgt. Steven Greene and during that high-speed chase the department’s cruiser was damaged when a deer ran out in front of Greene. Roach’s vehicle eventually came to a stop and he fled in the Mt. Alto area.

Anthony reported that Christin D. Will, 34, or Pomeroy, who was in the vehicle with Roach, was arrested by Greene on a fugitive from justice warrant out of Kentucky and then taken to the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville. Proffitt reported that the vehicle Roach was driving had stolen Ohio tags, while Anthony reported that a loaded gun, also allegedly stolen, was found in the vehicle. According to Anthony, Roach will be facing a charge of felony fleeing in Mason County.

“This type of behavior put a lot of innocent bystanders and police officers at risk during the high-speed chase and that absolutely will not be tolerated,” Proffitt said.