“The Broomfield chase was extraordinarily frightening in how similar it was to the Marcus Isreal chase,” he said. “Everybody who was part of the pursuit and has been part of the investigation was very grateful that the injuries to the trooper were not as severe as they could have been. She came within literally a foot of losing her life.”
A Warren County grand jury indicted the 21-year-old on felonious assault, grand theft, failure to comply with order or signal of police officer, two counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle, theft from an elderly person and receiving stolen property.
Broomfield was allegedly running a Craigslist scam, where he would answer ads and then steal the person’s car during the test drive, according to Fornshell. He said Broomfield would tell the owner he heard a suspicious engine noise and then would ask the person to get out and listen. Once the person exited the vehicle he would take off.
He allegedly stole a 2005 Nissan Sentra from West Chester Twp. on Jan. 15 and led police on a high speed chase — rocketing up Interstate 75 at 110 to 120 m.p.h. — and ended up crashing the vehicle on Ohio 63 at Markey Road, where Ohio State Patrol Trooper Sharese Williams was deploying stop sticks.
The trooper suffered a minor finger injury and her patrol car was totalled after Broomfield crashed into it. Broomfield was taken to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown after he was ejected from the vehicle.
Fornshell said his arrest led police to solve at least one other Craigslist car theft. Broomfield allegedly stole a car from an 80-year-old man who met Broomfield at St. Suzanna Catholic Church in Mason. The seller shot three times — and missed — at the fleeing vehicle, according to Fornshell. Broomfield allegedly then sold the car and when the new owner tried to get the title, the car was flagged as stolen.The buyer was able to identify Broomfield.
Fornshell said police in Franklin are also investigating a case that fits Broomfield’s alleged scam, Fornshell said.
About the Author