An investigation is ongoing after a deputy shot the tires of an accused shoplifter’s vehicle at Tanger Outlet Mall Tuesday night.
Delaware County Sheriff Russell Martin said that just before 8 p.m. Tuesday, the sheriff’s office was contacted by an employee at OshKosh at Tanger Outlet, who reported a woman had just left without paying for items.
Martin said Deputy Josh Clarke, a member of the sheriff’s office’s new bicycle unit, located the woman and commanded her to stop, but she ignored him. Martin said the suspect, Alana Marie Hissong, 28, of Blacklick, Ohio, put her vehicle in drive, knocking Clarke off his bike.
Martin reported that at that time Deputy Alex Richison was also responding to the incident on foot. Martin said Hissong began driving her vehicle towards Clarke and Richison and said that Richison believed he was in danger and discharged his firearm at the vehicle.
Richison’s shots did not hit Hissong, Martin stated, but did deflate the vehicle’s tires.
“She continued to flee from the Tanger area on flat tires,” Martin said. “A short time later, barely two miles away, our detective intercepted her along with other deputies and she was eventually involved in a single car crash at the intersection of Berkshire Road and North 3B&K. The suspect was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries sustained in the crash and upon her release overnight she was transfer to our jail.”
Hissong was charged with robbery and failure to comply. Martin said Hissong was also charged with OVI, failure to yield, driving under suspension, and driving without a seat-belt.
Hissong appeared in Delaware Municipal Court via video conferencing from the Delaware County Jail and had her bond set at $125,000 by Municipal Court Judge Marianne Hemmeter.
Martin said Clarke suffered minor injuries and said Richison was not injured in the incident.
“The attorney general’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handling the officer-involved shooting,” Martin said. “As is our practice, it’s a standard procedure to have a third-party investigate an officer-involved shooting. … We will fully comply with BCI during the investigation. It’s our standard practice that this deputy [Richison] has been placed, temporarily, on administrative leave and that will be evaluated day-to-day.”
Martin said the footage from the deputies’ body-worn cameras has been turned over to BCI.
Martin said the sheriff’s office would be investigating the theft and said the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
“We are in the business of saving lives,” Martin said. “We constantly train, conduct scenarios, and role-play all in an attempt to peacefully apprehend suspects and send our deputies home safely every single day. When suspects do not comply with our deputies’ basic orders they make an already difficult job much more difficult.”
Hissong remained in the Delaware County Jail Wednesday.
