Report: Man assaults officers, sings church hymns on way to jail

MIAMI COUNTY — An Indiana man is accused of assaulting multiple officers after being suspected of driving illegally and blocking traffic on I-75 near the U.S. 36 exit in Piqua Wednesday night.

Eli Swartzentruber, 33, of Worthington, was arrested and charged with OVI, resisting arrest and felony assault, according to records.

According to an Ohio State Highway Patrol investigation, Swartzentruber assaulted a trooper as he was being taken into custody on the highway after being suspected of driving illegally and blocking the highway around 11:30 p.m.

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While being transported to jail, Swartzentruber “began to sing church hymns and began kicking the inside of my patrol car,” the trooper wrote in their investigative notes.

Once Swartzentruber arrived at the jail, troopers said he became “very violent” and had to be Tasered several times and assaulted several correction’s officers and “even kicked one in the face,” the report read.

The 33-year-old was arraigned on charges this morning in Miami County Municipal Court, where the magistrate set his bond at $45,000 and ordered a mental evaluation for Swartzentruber.

He was still in the Miami County Jail Thursday morning.