No one was hurt in a potentially dangerous situation around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Officers were called to 27th and Royal Court on a report of a suspicious vehicle. Officers tried to contact the driver of a 2019 Dodge Ram who was passed out in the driver’s seat. After officers knocked on the window, identified themselves as police officers, and order the driver to shut off the vehicle, the driver (later identified as 26 year old Seth M. Schwaninger; stared at officers before placing the vehicle in drive and speeding off.
Officers did not pursue, but after hearing a collision occur in the area, they located the same vehicle and Schwaninger near South 28th Street and Royal Court. The vehicle had crashed; at this time, reports are still coming in regarding the collision and any possible damage. As officers located the crashed vehicle, they observed Schwaninger running from the scene through the neighborhood with a loaded AR-15 rifle.
Officers chased Schwaninger on foot, chasing through the residential streets until he threw the rifle down and simply tried to outrun the officers. Officers took Schwaninger into custody at gunpoint near South 28th Street and Eastgate Street. No shots were fired and no one was hurt.
Following a search incident to arrest, officers located the following items on Schwaninger and in his vehicle: approximately $780 in U.S. currency, $580 in counterfeit currency, and 8.2 grams of suspected methamphetamine. They also recovered the Springfield .223 AR rifle. Schwaninger is prohibited from owning a firearm due to a felony theft charge. Officers cited and lodged Schwaninger for Flee to Avoid Arrest, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Money while Violating Controlled Substance Statute, Possession of a Firearm while Violating a Controlled Substance Statute, and Driving during Revocation.