Man charged in Wal-Mart struggle with law enforcement

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Charges have been filed against a man involved in an altercation at Wal-Mart.

Sheriff Matt Lutz said Deputies were dispatched to Wal-Mart on Maysville Pike Wednesday morning just after 3 a.m. in reference to a suspicious person expected of shoplifting. Sheriff Lutz said the suspect, identified as 31-year-old John A. Beatty of Roseville, was not cooperating with the questions asked by Deputies Wade Kanavel and Chevy Hood and tried to leave the scene. Sheriff Lutz said a struggle ensued as Beatty tried to leave, injuring Deputy Hood.

“During this time as they were having this struggle the three individuals kind of fell together and at that time Deputy Hood’s ankle and foot kind of got lodged underneath and the other two kind of fell on top of Deputy Hood and because of this it snapped his ankle,” said Sheriff Lutz.

Sheriff Lutz said Beatty then managed to break free and make it to his truck before fleeing the parking lot and heading southwest on Maysville Pike. He said Deputy Kanavel chased the suspect through the parking lot before pursuing him down Maysville Pike with the help of Sergeant Ryan Williams. Sheriff Lutz said Beatty then turned onto a dead-end driveway where he tried to circle around the Deputies before getting stuck.

“At that point as our cruisers were behind him, he backed up and rammed Sgt. Williams’s car the first time tried to make it up the hill again, didn’t, and then rammed the cruiser a second time knocking it back into Dep. Kanavel’s vehicle” said, Sheriff Lutz.

Sheriff Lutz said the Deputies were then able to exit their vehicles, deploy a Taser through the truck’s side window and take Beatty into custody. Sheriff Lutz said Beatty was charged with seven charges including Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Burglary, and Felonious Assault.