Public Safety

Pike County deputies shoot armed Chillicothe man after foot pursuit near Beaver

Beaver, Ohio • November 12, 2026 • By Press Pass USA

An Ohio sheriff's patrol SUV with its emergency lights on

Photo: Scioto Valley Guardian

Pike County sheriff's deputies shot a 56-year-old Chillicothe man Wednesday afternoon after he opened fire on them during a foot pursuit near Beaver, authorities said. No deputies were injured, and the man was flown to a Columbus hospital.

Deputies were dispatched around 2:22 p.m. Wednesday, November 11, after a theft complaint, according to a news release from Pike County Sheriff Tracy D. Evans. The caller reported that Anthony D. Umphries, 56, of Chillicothe, had stolen a driver's license.

Deputies went to the 1400 block of State Route 335 near Walker Ridge Road, where Umphries was believed to be staying. Dispatch had warned them that Umphries was considered armed and dangerous and that he held active warrants out of the Ross County Sheriff's Office for aggravated robbery, drug abuse and possession of drugs.

Deputies found Umphries inside an abandoned vehicle parked just off the roadway, the sheriff's office said. When they approached, he fled on foot into a wooded area. During the pursuit, authorities say, he turned toward the deputies and began firing shots at them. The deputies returned fire, striking him.

Umphries was taken into custody and flown by medical helicopter to Grant Medical Center in Columbus for treatment. His condition has not been released.

Sheriff Evans asked the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to investigate the shooting, as is standard when a deputy fires a weapon on duty. The investigation remains ongoing, and the sheriff's office has not released the names of the deputies involved.

Sources: Scioto Post, "Pike County Deputies Shoot Armed Chillicothe Suspect During Foot Pursuit in Beaver" (Nov. 12, 2026, full text verified); J News Network, "Pike County deputies shoot Chillicothe man after foot pursuit near Beaver" (Nov. 12, 2026, full text verified); Hopewell Heritage Headlines, "Chillicothe Man Shot After Firing at Pike County Deputies in Beaver" (Nov. 12, 2026, full text verified); all reporting the Pike County Sheriff's Office news release. Event date verified: November 11, 2026 (shooting, ~2:22 p.m.).