BATAVIA TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A road rage dispute turned into gunfire and a SWAT team standoff early Friday in Batavia Township, according to the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded around 3:30 a.m. to a report of shots fired at a vehicle in the 100 block of Judd Road, the sheriff’s office said.
The driver told deputies he had been traveling on Clough Pike near Amelia Olive Branch Road when the driver of a BMW flashed its headlights at him. Believing the other driver was someone he knew, he followed the BMW to a residence on Breckenridge Way, according to the sheriff’s office.
Once there, the caller and his passengers told deputies the BMW’s driver brandished a firearm, prompting them to flee. The suspect followed and fired multiple shots at their vehicle as it traveled on Judd Road, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies confirmed a single gunshot had struck the trunk of the caller’s vehicle. Neither the caller nor his passengers were injured, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies then returned to the Breckenridge Way address and found the suspect vehicle concealed behind the residence. When occupants inside did not respond to attempts at contact, deputies established a perimeter and requested the sheriff’s office’s SWAT team because of the seriousness of the incident, the sheriff’s office said.
Within minutes of the SWAT team’s arrival and the establishment of communication with those inside, the occupants exited the residence and were detained without incident, according to the sheriff’s office.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the sheriff’s office said additional details will be released as they develop.
Suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office.