DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Police released more information Tuesday afternoon about Monday night’s deadly stolen police cruiser crash.
APP USERS, TAP HERE TO WATCH THE FULL PRESS CONFERENCE WITH DAYTON, RIVERSIDE POLICE
Around 7:11 pm on August 26, a man flagged down a Dayton Police cruiser on North Keowee Street just north of Xenia Avenue. He told officers that a man was actively bleeding from his head just around the corner.
READ MORE: Officials identify 2 kids killed after crash involving stolen police cruiser
Police investigated and found a victim at 116 Xenia Avenue sitting on a set of steps, bleeding from his head, face, arms, and chest. He told officers that his son, Raymond Walters Jr., has stabbed him and took off in his black 1999 Chevrolet truck.
Police Chief Richard Biehl confirmed that the man’s father was transporting him to an area hospital for a mental health evaluation when the stabbing occurred.
The suspect’s father is in stable condition.
Walters had driven off and crashed into a tree in the area of 4542 Airway Road. Riverside Police responded to the crash to find that he had gotten out of his car. The officer got out of his cruiser to try and apprehend the suspect when Walters gained access to the cruiser. He was tased in the process, but it was ineffective, and he took off in the cruiser toward Smithville Road.
Below you can see dashcam video of another Riverside Police officer responding to that scene:
APP USERS, TAP HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO
Around 7:20, Dayton Police learned that the Riverside cruiser was stolen and headed into Dayton at a high rate of speed with its lights flashing, with a suspect that matched the description of the stabbing suspect.
A “Signal 99” was then issued, requesting additional backup from surrounding agencies.
The suspect ran a red light at East Third Street and Patterson Road, hitting a red Acura SUV in the intersection. That vehicle carried three adults.
The cruiser then hit a grey Honda Odyssey carrying seven children and one adult as it was pulling away from the curb at the Dayton Metro Library.
The crash caused the Honda to slide across East Third Street and come to rest on a southwest curb.
Chief Biehl says the cruiser was traveling 97 miles per hour at the time of the crash, causing it to split into several pieces.
Dayton Police arrived and took the suspect into custody.
In all, 12 people were removed from the cars by medics with Dayton, Harrison, and Kettering crews and taken to Grandview Medical Center, Miami Valley Hospital, and Dayton Children’s.
Two children were killed and later identified as Eleanor McBride and Penelope Jasko, and another child is in critical condition. The remaining victims have either been treated and released or are in stable condition.
Chief Biehl says one of the children in the cars had wanted to drop off a book at the library.
Homicide detectives and a crash reconstruction team responded to the area to conduct an investigation.
Walters has an extensive criminal history and was on active parole, having just been released from prison earlier this month.
Chief Biehl says his prior drug history and behavior at the scene lead them to believe that methamphetamine “may be” a contributing factor in this incident.
Police are working with the Prosecutor’s Office to present the suspect with murder charges.
