Man accused of stealing car with knife, leading police on chase in Dayton charged

A 35-year-old man who reportedly stole a car while armed with a butcher knife and then led Dayton police on an 11-minute chase is facing charges.

Christopher Ray Palmer, of Dayton, was charged with one count each of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, robbery and failure to comply with the order of a police officer, according to Dayton Municipal Court records.

His bond was set at $250,000 on Thursday.

Around noon on Tuesday a man was getting out of his car in the 1900 block of Wayne Avenue when Palmer reportedly approached him with a butcher knife and demanded the keys.

A fight started and the man reportedly ended up on his back on the ground with Palmer over him.

“During the struggle, (the man) dropped his keys and Palmer picked them up,” according to an affidavit. “While Palmer was trying to start the vehicle, (the man) approached Palmer in the driver seat and sliced him in the face in an attempt to get him to stop taking his vehicle.”

Palmer started the car and drove away. He managed to elude capture for several hours, according to court documents.

The man was reportedly cut on his right arm by the knife Palmer was holding.

While Dayton police were investigating, they learned of the car’s possible location and crews saturated the area.

Around 3:10 p.m., officers found the vehicle, but Palmer did not stop resulting in a chase.

The police lasted approximately 11 minutes and ended after an officer used a precision immobilization technique.

During the chase police successfully deployed tire deflation devices multiple times, said Lt. Mark Ponichtera.

Cruiser camera footage from the pursuit showed the car weaving through traffic.

At one point, the car narrowly missed a school bus turning at an intersection and clipped a mirror on another car.

Palmer was booked into the Montgomery County Jail Tuesday afternoon. He was still in custody as of Friday afternoon.

About the Author