DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) — The man accused of getting into a shootout with police on I-71 in March has changed his not guilty plea.
Court records show that on June 6 Jonathan Myers changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity and requested an evaluation of his mental condition through his attorney, which was subsequently granted by Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge David M. Gormley.
A written report of the evaluation must be completed within 30 days of the order. The document states that the report “should address the question of whether, at the time of the commission of the 27 alleged felony offenses – which include attempted murder, felonious assault, and several weapons-related crimes – a severe mental disease or defect prevented the defendant from knowing the wrongfulness of his actions.”
On March 11, a 12-mile stretch of I-71 was shut down in one direction for hours after an incident between Myers and police. Traffic cameras caught Myers crashing a 2014 Ford Fusion into a cable barrier on the side of the road. Police say he then got out of the car and started shooting at other cars on the highway. After police arrived, additional video of the incident also shows Myers running in the northbound lanes away from police while firing a gun until an officer shot him. Myers was then taken into custody.
Myers is currently being held without bond in the Delaware County Jail, his trial date was originally set for June 7.