MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Dayton police have identified a Springfield man who they say shot a 67-year-old man while trying to find his stolen car early Tuesday morning.
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Mark Messer, 36, has been charged with two counts of felonious assault and one count of discharge of a firearm near a prohibited premises.
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As reported previously by News Center 7, Messer drove to Trotwood and then into Dayton trying to find his stolen car.
Police said Messer used social media to learn that his car was at a Trotwood address.
Dayton Police Department Major Brian Johns said Messer parked in front of the home Monday night, hoping to spot his stolen car.
He followed the first person who walked out, a 67-year-old man, onto US-35 and Liscum Drive.
“It’s just an incident that escalated to something it should’ve never been,” Dayton Police Department Major Brian Johns said.
Messer allegedly shot the other driver near that intersection and then drove away.
Johns said the victim “had some damage to his hand and face but thankfully did survive this incident.”
Police said that the 67-year-old man had no connection to the stolen car and didn’t even live at the house.
Dayton Police Department cruiser camera footage shows officers pulling over Messer on State Route 4 near N Findlay Street.
Officers caught up with Messer, who had two family members in the car with him.
Video shows officers ordering the people inside the car to put their hands out the window.
An officer on the right side of the cruiser is seen with a weapon as the driver steps out of the car and walks towards them.
Officers later discovered two weapons inside the car.
“There’s a rifle, there’s a rifle right there,” the officer said.
Johns said crime victims should never take things into their own hands.
“A car or money are never worth a person’s life,” Johns said.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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