Bainbridge man sentenced on failure to comply charge

A Bainbridge man was sentenced to community control recently after pleading guilty to a failure to comply charge in Highland County.

As previously reported, Charles Bender, 53, was indicted by a Highland County grand jury in November and charged with one count of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony. 

The incident is alleged to have occurred on or about Sept. 14. According to a bill of particulars, Greenfield Police officers received a report that Bender was allegedly “improperly parked … and possibly intoxicated” at an area gas station. When officers attempted to respond to the scene, it is alleged that Bender “took off at a high rate of speed,” including not “stopping at [a] stop sign while also squealing the tires and fishtailing sideways, nearly losing control.”

The bill of particulars alleges that Bender failed to stop his vehicle when police attempted to make a traffic stop, while he allegedly “continued traveling eastbound … at speeds in excess of 100 mph.” During the pursuit, Bender allegedly ran another car off the road while “nearly [striking the] vehicle head-on,” the bill of particulars says.

When Bender eventually came to a stop, he fled from the scene on foot and was later apprehended by officers, according to the bill of particulars.

Bender pleaded guilty to the charge in January.

During a sentencing hearing Feb. 19, Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss sentenced Bender to three years of community control. Bender was ordered to successfully complete the STAR program and recommended aftercare. In addition, Bender’s driver’s license will be suspended for three years, effective Feb. 19.