SIDNEY — A West Virginia man is in custody after a high speed chase, a manhunt and after allegedly shooting at Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Travis Ray Wickline, 28, of Charleston, West Virginia, was arrested around 4 a.m. Tuesday after a manhunt.
The incident began at 11:05 p.m. Monday when the Sheriff’s. Office received a call from a woman stating she had been carjacked in the Hidden Valley Trailer Park by a white male yielding a firearm. The subject, who as later identified as Wickline, fled the area in the stolen 2005 Toyota Camry.
As deputies were responding to the call, Deputy Joel Howell spotted the stolen vehicle in the 5000 block of state Route 29. Howell conducted a felony traffic stop due to the brandishing of a firearm in the carjacking. As Howell ordered the driver to show his hands and open the car door, the drive then exited the vehicle and started shooting at Howell. Wickline fired six shots at Howell, who repositioned himself and returned fire, shooting at the vehicle three times.
After a brief stay, Wickline then fled eastbound on state Route 29 in the stolen vehicle.
The pursuit continued for approximately 10 minutes on state Route 29 with three Shelby County Deputies trying to stop the vehicle. At times, the fleeing vehicle reached speeds in excess of 100 mph.
Wickline returned to Hidden Valley Trailer Park, where his vehicle struck Deputy Frank Bleigh’s cruiser, disabling it. Bleigh was injured in the crash and was transported to Wilson Health by Perry Port Salem Rescue. He was treated and released. K-9 Colt was in the vehicle but was not injured.
Wickline then left the trailer park and while on state Route 29, he stopped and let a female companion out of the vehicle. The female, identified as Ashley Nichole Wayson, 31, of Charleston, West Virginia, was arrested by Deputy Dave Spicer.
Wickline continued westbound on state Route 29 where he turned around and, in the 4000 block of state Route 29, went off the south side of the road and purposely drove the vehicle into the woods. He then fled the area on foot.
During the search, K-9s from the Auglaize and Champaign County Sheriff Offices were used. The Ohio State Highway Patrol used its helicopter for an air search.
Shelby County Detectives interviewed Wayson. They were able to obtain enough information from Wayson to identify Wickline as the driver of the vehicle.
Deputies were able to identify where Wayson and Wickline had been staying. They were staying with Wickline’s parents at lot 69 in Hidden Valley Trailer Park. Contact was made at lot 69 where deputies arrested Wickline without incident.
Wickline disclosed the location of the weapon he used and deputies located a loaded .38 revolver in a coat in the master bedroom of the trailer.
Both Wickline and Wayson have outstanding warrants from West Virginia. Wickline’s warrant is for aggravated assault with a weapon. Wayson’s warrant is for conspiracy to deliver controlled substance. Both subjects’s warrants stated use extreme caution and they were considered armed and dangerous.
Shelby County Prosecutor Tim Sell met with Deputies to discuss the incident and approved charges against the pair. Wickline will be charged with felonious assault, attempted murder, kidnapping, grand theft auto, weapons under disability and failure to comply with the order or signal of an officer. Wayson is being charged with obstruction of justice.
Both were incarcerated in the Shelby County Jail. The case is ongoing and charges are expected to be filed later Tuesday.
They will appear in Sidney Municipal Court at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
“We would like to thank the following agencies for responding and helping with the incident, Perry Port Salem Rescue, Sidney Police Department, Ohio State Patrol, Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office Deputy and K-9 unit, Champaign County sheriff’s Office Deputy and K-9 unit and Logan County Sheriff’s Office Deputies,” said Sheriff John Lenhart. “Everyone acted fast and professional to bring this heightened emergency to a safe resolve.”
