JEFFERSON COUNTY, IL — A Fairfield man was arrested last Tuesday after a report of a man looking in mailboxes brought Sheriff’s Deputies to an area of Jefferson County. It turned out he was wanted for shooting at police in Wayne County the previous day.
On Monday, August 30th at approximately 10:43pm, Wayne County Detective Sgt. Chris Otey attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle on West Main Street in Fairfield. The vehicle fled and was pursued by the officer. During the chase a flash of light was seen from the driver’s window that appeared to be a muzzle flash from a firearm. The chase continued into rural Wayne County when the vehicle suddenly came to a stop. A felony traffic stop was attempted but the driver, 46-year-old Ronald D. Jolly refused numerous commands and fled into a wooded area. Additional units from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, including Deputy Rennie Cates and K9 Tiko, along with the Fairfield Police Department arrived on scene to assist in locating Jolly. After an extensive search he was not located but found on the ground near the vehicle was a firearm. Inside the vehicle, ammunition, over $4,000 dollars cash, and a spent shell casing was seized as evidence.
Information was passed along to members of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office that Jolly had possibly fled to their county and on the next evening (Tuesday, August 31st) Jolly was arrested by JCSO deputies who responded on a report that a subject had been allegedly looking in mailboxes in the area of N. Tolle Lane. The investigation led Deputies to the area of Windsong and Tolle Ln. K9 Tico was deployed, and the subject was located hiding in a nearby field. Jolly was turned over to Deputies from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and has been lodged into the Wayne County Jail on preliminary charges of Armed Violence, Unlawful Possession of Weapon by a Felon, Aggravated Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Peace Officer, and Resisting or Obstructing a Peace Officer. He also had an active arrest warrant out of Wayne County for Failing to Appear in Court on two previous counts of Aggravated Battery as well as Resisting or Obstructing a Peace Officer.
Total bond in the two cases has been set at $25,095 dollars cash.