Westlake Officer Injures Leg Chasing Fleeing Cleveland Man

A Westlake officer was injured early Oct. 14 after chasing a man on foot in a chase that included Avon and Avon Lake.

A Westlake patrolman signaled the male driver of a 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier to stop after the officer noted the license plate belonged on a stolen Ford truck. The driver dropped off a 37-year-old homeless woman on Clague Road near the CWD plant, then fled westbound on Sperry Drive and onto I-90 westbound into Avon. 

Avon and Avon Lake police departments were notified of the pursuit; it is believed that the suspect drove over Avon Police Department's spike strips while fleeing on I-90. The suspect’s speeds fluctuated 45-85mph during the incident.

The driver exited at SR 83 and drove down a dead end section of Center Road then into a backyard and finally into a ditch. 

The driver then fled on foot, but was caught shortly thereafter by an Avon Lake police officer. He gave a false name, but was identified through Rocky River Police Department's mobile fingerprint scanner as 47-year-old John Sutton of Cleveland. 

The car had been lent to him by the owner, a Parma man, on Oct. 11 on the condition it be returned that day.  

Sutton has warrants from Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office and the Rocky River Police Department. He will be charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (crack pipe), Mis-ID, Resisting Arrest, Receiving Stolen Property -license plate, Unauthorized use of Motor Vehicle, Felony Fleeing and a number of traffic offenses.

The Westlake officer suffered a leg injury while chasing Sutton on foot; he was treated at St. John Medical Center and released, although he will be on light duty for an as yet unspecified period of time.

The female, Rhonda Roberts, has a warrant from Franklin County Sheriff's Office. Both are being held in the Westlake City Jail.