Career Criminal Charged in Armed School Carjacking, 140 MPH Police Chase

SCDN was the first to break the story as it was happening in real-time. Now, Scioto County Sheriff, David Thoroughman has released further details about the incident witnessed by many throughout the county. Career criminal Christopher Peake is facing 11 new criminal charges after the 40-year-old Kentucky parolee hijacked a truck at the Scioto County Career Technical Center and shot a man in the face before leading officers on a multi-county high-speed chase. The convicted drug trafficker was already wanted for absconding on his parole when officers say he and another man attempted to break into a home on Houston Hollow Road. When the resident confronted them, they ran off. Deputies responded and started searching for the suspects. About an hour later a man told them he’d parked his truck on the side of the road on Verne Rife Drive near the SCCTC when a man with a gun approached him and told him to get out of the truck. When he didn’t move fast enough, the carjacker shot through the passenger window and hit him in the face. The victim got out of the truck and Peake headed toward the school. A school resource officer tried to stop the Peake and initiated a chase. Peake sped toward US 23 and hit a semi before taking off down the road and throwing items from the truck in what he later admitted was an attempt to wreck the officers following him. The Ohio State Patrol deployed stop sticks, but Peake drove around them and headed toward Portsmouth, where PPD officers also tried to stop him with stop sticks. Peake reached speeds of 140 MPH as he turned onto U.S. 52 and headed into Adams County where deputies there also deployed stop sticks. He finally crashed into a guardrail near Manchester. Peake refused to get out of the truck, struggled with officers, and even went for his gun before officers pulled him through the driver’s side window. He also attempted to bite a deputy. Adams County EMS transported him to SOMC where he was treated and released. Peake, who is currently a Cincinnati resident, was charged with aggravated robbery with firearm and school zone specifications as well as felonious assault, tampering with evidence, failure to comply with police, resisting arrest with a deadly weapon, attempted burglary, assaulting a police officer, having weapons under a disability, driving without a license, reckless driving, and parole violation. He's currently sitting in the Scioto County Jail and is expected in Portsmouth Municipal Court on Monday. No details about the 2nd man initially involved were released. At least 2 law enforcement vehicles sustained damage. No injuries to the officers or the public were reported.

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