A man charged with one count of domestic violence and two counts of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer was sentenced to six years in prison Thursday.
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Judge Michael A. Buckwalter of the Greene County Common Pleas Court sentenced Joe Eldridge to the maximum sentence permitted by law, according to a press release from Greene County Court officials.
The judge also imposed a $15,000 fine and suspended Eldridge’s driver’s license for the rest of his life, the release said.
“We are grateful to Judge Buckwalter for imposing such a lengthy and, in my view, appropriate sentence,” according to Greene County Prosecutor David D. Hayes. “Not every offender should go to prison, but Joe Eldridge certainly should and for as long as possible.”
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Judge Buckwalter stated Eldridge is a “clear and imminent danger to the public” having been to prison on seven prior occasions, as stated in the release.
On April 30, Eldridge’s girlfriend went to the Fairborn Police Department with two black eyes and a swollen face. According to the release she reported to police that Eldridge attacked her several days earlier.
Eldridge had admitted to a separate witness that he assaulted the woman, according to court officials.
Based on the initial domestic violence report, an arrest warrant was issued for Eldridge.
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On June 7, Fairborn Police Officer Connor Mulcahy spotted Eldridge riding a motorcycle. Once his identity was confirmed, Officer Mulcahy activated his cruiser lights and yelled for Eldridge to stop.
Eldridge fled the scene and reported to others that he was going approximately 101 mph in the area of Kaufman and Powell avenues before Officer Mulcahy decided to end the pursuit to prevent putting others at risk.
Shortly thereafter, Eldridge crashed his motorcycle, shattering his ankle and was taken by medics from the scene.