Suspect in shooting of vehicles, police on I-71 wants to plead not guilty by insanity

Patrick Cooley, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
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Jonathon Myers, 21, with his attorney, Jeremy Dodgion, in March in Delaware County Common Pleas Court.
Jonathon Myers, 21, with his attorney, Jeremy Dodgion, in March in Delaware County Common Pleas Court.

A suspect accused of firing at passing vehicles and police along Interstate 71 in Delaware County wants to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, court records show.

Jonathon Myers, 21, of Columbus' Northland area, switched his plea from not guilty Tuesday, records say.

The plea requires an evaluation by a mental health professional within 30 days and must show that he was unaware that his actions were illegal. Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge David M. Gormley approved the evaluation Wednesday.

Myers is accused of shooting at motorists and police on March 11 after crashing his car along Interstate 71 north of the Gemini Place/IKEA Way exit in Delaware County. He faces 27 criminal counts, included attempted aggravated murder. If convicted on all charges, his sentence could exceed 100 years in prison.

Video shows the suspect crashing a 2014 Ford Fusion into a cable barrier on the side of the highway. According to police, Myers is accused of then getting out of the vehicle, running back and forth across I-71, arguing with a female passenger who also got out of the car, and firing shots at passing motorists on the interstate.

Authorities have accused Myers of striking at least three vehicles with bullets — including a UPS truck and a van carrying two members of the Madison High School wrestling team and two coaches who were traveling to Ohio State University's Schottenstein Center.

Myers fled when officers arrived, running north along the highway, shooting a Columbus police cruiser and firing at officers chasing him. No motorists were injured; a Columbus police officer was taken to a hospital for treatment out of precaution.

An officer shot Myers, who was then taken into custody. The suspect was taken to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center.

Myers is being held in the Delaware County jail without bond.

pcooley@dispatch.com

@PatrickACooley

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Suspect in I-71 shooting of passing vehicles, police to plead insanity