COLUMBUS – Seven juveniles, including one who was only 12 years old, have been arrested in separate car-theft incidents, including one where a Columbus officer was injured by one of the suspects.
The officer was injured when a 15-year-old driving a stolen SUV intentionally struck the officer who had pulled him over in the 1400 block of Courtright Road at approximately 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, according to Sgt. Doug Jones of the felony assault unit.
Officers pulled over the 2015 GMC Yukon, which had been reported stolen, and as they got out of their cruiser, the driver accelerated, pinning one of the officers between the cruiser and the suspect vehicle.
The suspect fled the area in the stolen SUV, which was found abandoned in the area of Curnard Road and Seabrook Avenue, Jones said.
Officers arrested the teen at his home and the injured officer was taken to a hospital where he was reported in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.
The teen was charged with felonious assault, receiving stolen property and possessing a weapon under disability, Jones said.
Whitehall police, meanwhile, say they arrested six juveniles – ranging in age from 12 to 17 – in two separate incidents on Saturday and Monday.
According to a post on the department’s Twitter feed, officers located a stolen vehicle and arrested the 17-year-old driver and two passengers – age 15 and 16 on Saturday. The older suspect had been linked to other vehicle theft cases in Franklin County.
Three more youths, including a 14-year-old suspect who was armed with a handgun, a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old, were arrested trying to steal a car from a store on Monday.