Local man arrested on active warrant

VW independent staff/submitted information

A Van Wert man wanted on an active warrant for felonious assault and who allegedly made threatening remarks about a former law enforcement officer was taken into custody without incident last night.

According to Van Wert Police Chief Doug Weigle, Devin Allen Couch, 21, was arrested after a traffic stop at W. Third St. and N. Jefferson St. at appoximately 9 p.m. Thursday. A Van Wert Sheriff’s Office K-9 alerted on the vehicle and inside it, officers found what appeared to be meth.

The felonious assault charge, a second degree felony, stemmed from an incident on January 19, when Couch allegedly assaulted a male victim in the 200 block of N. Wall St. When the male retreated to his home, Couch ran after him and entered his home without being invited.

The responding officer to that incident arrived and arrested Couch at the scene and according to Weigle, Couch showed signs of intoxication. Couch’s cell phone was seized and a search warrant was obtained to extract evidence from the phone. It was discovered Couch was talking about killing a retired police officer and a family member. He also discussed shooting it out with law enforcement.

“Due to the those concerns, the Van Wert City Police Department is very happy he was taken into custody without incident,” Weigle said.

Couch remains in the Van Wert County Correctional Facility pending court proceedings.