A 32-year-old man wanted in Ohio for an alleged New Year’s Day shooting was arrested Friday afternoon, March 6, after Polk County deputies tracked him down outside a Lakeland home. Deputies say Jean Roudy Chicoye was taken into custody without a struggle following an interstate manhunt tied to an active felony warrant out of Franklin County, Ohio. Authorities say the warrant stems from a Columbus shooting that left two people wounded during a Haitian Freedom celebration.
How The Arrest Unfolded
In a social media update, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said his office teamed up with the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Ohio before tracking Chicoye to North Terrace Circle in Lakeland. Deputies located him outside a home there and took him into custody on the Ohio felony warrant for felonious assault.
According to the sheriff’s post, Chicoye is accused of shooting two people at a Haitian Freedom celebration in Columbus on Jan. 1. Polk County’s announcement did not list a booking number or provide any additional court documents related to the case.
What The Ohio Charge Carries
Felonious assault in Ohio is defined under state law and treated as a serious offense, depending on the circumstances and any special findings. The Ohio Revised Code governs the charge, and under Ohio sentencing rules a second‑degree felony typically carries a prison term of two to eight years. Certain aggravating factors can increase both the level of the charge and the possible penalties.
Whether Franklin County prosecutors move ahead with formal charges or seek Chicoye’s extradition from Florida will dictate what happens next in the case.
Next Steps For Authorities
At the time Sheriff Judd announced the arrest, Polk County’s public post was the main official account of how Chicoye was captured. If Franklin County chooses to pursue prosecution, standard interstate extradition procedures would come into play, and any criminal case would proceed through Ohio courts rather than in Polk County.
Investigators have not released the names of the two people wounded in the Columbus shooting, and authorities say the investigation remains active.
