Perry Township – On May 29, 2020 at approximately 2:19 PM, the Mansfield post received a call from the driver of a tractor-trailer claiming he was fired at by a passing vehicle on I-71 near milepost 162 in Richland County. The caller stated the vehicle exited at State Route 97 at which time he lost sight of the suspect.
Responding troopers interviewed the driver of the tractor-trailer and observed bullet holes in the cab and load on the trailer. During the investigation, the suspect and vehicle were positively identified and eventually located and taken into custody on I-71.
The victim was identified as Josh Hursell, of Berlin Center Oh. Mr. Hursell sustained no injuries from the incident. The driver of the suspect vehicle was identified as Matthew B. Ellison, of Parma Oh. Mr. Ellison was charged with Felonious assault, a second-degree felony and additional charges are pending. Mr. Ellison was incarcerated at the Richland County jail to await arraignment. A passenger in the suspect vehicle was identified but no charges were filed against the passenger at this time. The passenger was released from the Mansfield Post.