Amherst Man Faces Multiple Charges After High-Speed Pursuit Ends in Westlake
LORAIN COUNTY, OH – A 32-year-old Amherst man, Richard Roule Sr., is facing a slew of felony charges after leading law enforcement officers on a multi-city chase that ended in Westlake on Wednesday afternoon.
Roule, of Deepwood Lane, is currently being held on $102,000 bond at the Lorain County Jail. He is facing eight felony charges, including aggravated burglary, abduction, grand theft of a motor vehicle, failure to comply, and obstructing official business, along with two misdemeanor charges, including assault and theft.
The chase began after a black Nissan Sentra was reported stolen. Sheriff’s deputies and state troopers pursued the vehicle along I-90, eventually joined by police from Avon, Rocky River, and Westlake. The pursuit ended near the Sonesta Suites hotel in Westlake, where Roule allegedly attempted to stage a standoff by holding a DeWalt drill to his head, pretending it was a firearm.
SWAT teams responded, and a Westlake K-9 unit subdued Roule, who was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries from a dog bite before being booked.
Roule is also facing separate felony charges in Oberlin Municipal Court, including receiving stolen property and obstructing official business, with additional court dates scheduled for next week.
His legal history includes prior convictions for obstruction and cocaine possession, and he was previously sentenced to five years in prison in 2016 for his involvement in a 2013 shooting in Lorain, where he was accused of orchestrating a “hit” that left one man wounded.
Roule was already facing two open felony cases from March 2025 involving drug trafficking, possession, and weapons charges, with pretrial hearings scheduled for August 13.
His attorneys, Mike Stepanik and Matt Bobrowski, are representing him in the ongoing proceedings.
All charges listed are based on police and court reports. The accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
