A 31-year-old Elyria man is facing felony strangulation, misdemeanor domestic violence and drunk-driving charges after police say he choked a woman during an argument, threatened to shoot himself, and then fled toward a neighboring village before officers caught up with him. Dalton Whitmore was arrested near Cleveland Street and State Route 57 following the alleged assault, which occurred shortly before midnight on September 6.
According to the Morning Journal, the confrontation began after Whitmore and the woman argued about her previous relationships. Police say Whitmore grabbed the woman by the throat, slammed her onto a couch, and continued to hold her throat and strangle her as she pushed and kicked him off. The woman did not lose consciousness during the alleged strangulation, but she told police she wanted to pursue criminal charges against Whitmore.
During the encounter, Whitmore allegedly asked the woman, “Do you want me to punch you in the face?” and later said he was going to shoot himself in the head, according to the same report. He then left the residence, prompting officers to request that area law enforcement stop him for suspected intoxicated driving as he drove off in a white 2011 Ford Focus.
License Plate Cameras Track Getaway Into Sheffield Village
Whitmore's vehicle was tracked into neighboring Sheffield Village with the help of Flock license plate reading cameras, the Morning Journal reported, before Elyria police officers caught up with him and made the arrest at Cleveland Street and State Route 57. As of April 2024, the Sheffield Village Police Department operated eight Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras that retain vehicle location data for 30 days, according to the Atlas of Surveillance, which identifies the cameras and retention period.
That local infrastructure has drawn fresh scrutiny in the county. Lorain County Sheriff Jack Hall announced that he was ending his agency's Flock camera program after a 79% price increase, according to the Chronicle Telegram. The status of municipal camera networks after the county's cancellation was not established in the cited reports.
Suspect Requested Medical Care, Received Counseling
Whitmore was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and was transported to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center after requesting emergency medical care, per the Morning Journal's account. He received mental health counseling while at the hospital, and staff advised him that he would need to seek further treatment after his release. He was later cleared for release from the hospital.
Per the Elyria police report, Whitmore was charged with felony strangulation, misdemeanor domestic violence, misdemeanor assault, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He is being held at the Lorain County Jail on a $130,000 bond and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on September 14.
Why Strangulation Now Carries Felony Weight in Ohio
Ohio lawmakers overhauled how strangulation cases are prosecuted in April 2023, when Senate Bill 288 took effect and reclassified non-fatal strangulation from a misdemeanor into a standalone felony under Ohio Revised Code § 2903.18, according to Funkhouser Law. Before that change, Ohio was the only state in the country without a specific felony strangulation statute.
The shift reflects mounting concern among researchers and law enforcement about strangulation as a warning sign in domestic violence cases. The Alliance for HOPE International discusses the lethality of strangulation in domestic violence cases. Experts note that strangulation can cause unconsciousness within seconds.
Beyond the felony strangulation count, Whitmore faces a misdemeanor domestic violence charge and an OVI charge.
Whitmore was being held at the Lorain County Jail, and county arrest archives indicate he was previously booked into the same jail on March 21, 2025.
Part of a Pattern in Elyria Courts
Whitmore's case adds to a string of recent violent-incident arrests moving through Elyria's court system. Earlier this month, a 63-year-old Elyria man was charged with felonious assault after allegedly severely injuring a woman and pressuring her to tell police she had fallen in the shower. Also earlier this month, an Elyria woman was charged after allegedly ramming her vehicle into two others during an altercation, according to Hoodline's earlier coverage of that case.
