CYNTHIAN TOWNSHIP — A high speed pursuit Monday evening, June 17, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, resulted in a man being taken into custody after he fled in a stolen vehicle. The pursuit began in Sidney and ended west of Newport.

Joey Dillon Baker, 33, at large, is being held at the Shelby County Jail on two failure to comply charges, which are third-degree felonies, and for a receiving stolen property charge, a fourth-degree felony.

According to a Sidney Police report, police received a report Monday from Baker’s ex-girlfriend that he was threatening suicide by police. After the information was received, dispatch put out an “officer safety alert.” Later police were advised that Baker was in a stolen, red Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and his last know location was in the parking lot of Hot Head Burrito on Michigan Street, the report said.

Previously on Friday, June 14, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office received a report that an employee took a red Chevrolet Silverado 3500 from Sidney Tree Service Inc. without permission. Allegedly, Baker was captured on video taking the truck from Sidney Tree Service.

Sidney Police located the truck at 4:22 p.m. Monday in the parking lot on Michigan Street. A white male was seen entering the vehicle and began to pull out. When a second police officer arrived, Officer Kevin Calvert attempted to pull the truck over for a traffic stop. Calvers’s cruiser’s overhead lights were flashing, but the truck did not stop, the report said. Police followed the truck into Chase Bank’s parking lot and then exited on Michigan Street. At this time, other Sidney Police cruisers, with lights flashing and sirens sounding, joined behind Calvert, but Baker continued westbound Michigan Street.

The report said the truck was cutting back and forth between lanes and was not complying with traffic laws. The truck then turned right onto Stolle Avenue and then left onto Gleason Street. Police attempted to deploy stop sticks at the intersection of Gleason Street and Lester Avenue, but the truck cut into the private drive at Derby Fabrication on Lester Avenue. It then drove off the pavement and into the grass, traveling behind the building. The red truck then came around the building to the north and back into the west parking lot before coming back onto the road and again avoiding the stop sticks, the police report said.

The truck then went through the grass at Goffena Furniture on Michigan Street. Police continued to pursue the truck as it left the city limits traveling southbound on Kuther Road, going above the speed limits. The report said the truck passed vehicles on the left at intersections, ran stop signs and passed on the left on roads marked with double yellow lines while speeding and fleeing.

Sidney Police continued the pursuit, going over 90 mph, until the 10000 block of state Route 66, just north of Piqua city limits, where the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol picked up the pursuit.

When Deputy Jordan Suthers joined the pursuit, at 4:38 p.m. Monday, the red truck turned northbound on state Route 48, then went westbound back onto Russia Versailles Road and through the village of Russia. It then turned onto Miller Road after failing to stop at the posted stop sign at Russia Versailles Road and reached speeds up to 100 mph, according to the Sheriff’s Office report.

The truck continued on Miller Road, did not stop at the stop sign at the intersection of state Route 47, at about 90 mph, “launching the vehicle.” Baker continued northbound on Miller Road, eventually turning westbound onto Fort Recovery Road again, did not stop at the stop sign, but then began to travel at a very slow rate of speed. Suthers then drove in front of the red truck, and Baker surrendered and placed both of his hands in the air. He was removed from the vehicle, arrested and transported to the Shelby County Jail.

The owner of the truck was notified, and it was towed from the scene by Myers Towing.

Baker is being held on a cash only $50,091 bond, according to jail records.