Fight at fairgounds leads to one arrest

VW independent staff

What began as a report of a weekend fight involving a gun at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds turned into a chase involving multiple officers. It ended with the arrest of an Indiana man.

Officers with the Van Wert Police Department were dispatched to the fairgrounds just before 11 p.m. Saturday, during the Freedom Truck Meet, after a caller said two suspects jumped the fence and were running eastbound.

Security staff gave the responding officers a description of the suspects – a white male with no shirt, black shorts, and a black male with no shirt and green shorts, with a gun. The immediate area was checked then a short time later, an officer spotted the two running through back yards along Warren Rd.

A perimeter was established, a VWPD drone was put into operation and multiple law enforcement officers from the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office and the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol were called to the scene for assistance. Both of the suspects were spotted hiding behind a detached garage on Warren Rd. As officers approached them, Drake Scheumann, 19, of Monroeville, Indiana, fled eastbound, which prompted a foot chase that lasted several minutes. It ended when officers cut him off and took him into custody. He admitted he had been drinking and told officers he ran because he’s scared of police. Scheumann was later charged with ostructing official business and underage consumption, and was taken to the Van Wert County Correctional Facility.

The second suspect could not be found but the police report states an officer found a bag near the area where the suspect was running. His driver’s license and a debit card were found in the bag.

According to the report, the case is closed because the victims in the alleged assault fled the scene and have been uncooperative.