Northern Kentucky man leads police on car chase

CINCINNATI - A Northern Kentucky man led police on a chase from Fort Wright, Ky., to downtown Cincinnati Thursday, all because of golf balls.

The chase started at the Wal-Mart in Fort Wright when police say security guards tried to stop Jeffery Martin after they witnessed him stealing golf balls.

Police said he threatened them with a weapon and then looked for a car to steal.

“The first vehicle he got into was occupied by a male, at which point the male told him to get out of the vehicle,” Fort Wright Police Sergeant Michael Knight said. “[Martin] went and proceeded to get into the vehicle he stole and fled into Cincinnati with.”

Police said he got into a Camaro while a woman was in the driver’s seat and told her to drive, but she ran away.

That’s when police said Martin took off in the car, heading north on I-75.

Martin was in the stolen red Camaro when he spun out then jumped a fence and fell 30 feet to the concrete below.

"We had a detective who happened to be on the interstate that observed the vehicle,“ Knight said. “A sheriff's unit stationed himself at 12th street, observed the vehicle, followed him into Cincinnati. There were several side streets they went down, to the point where he eventually crashed on 3rd street in front of Paul Brown Stadium.”

Martin was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center to be treated for a broken ankle.

Police said Martin has an extensive criminal history and was recently released from prison on robbery charges.

Martin is now facing four felony charges from Thursday’s incident.

9 On Your Side reporter Bryce Anslinger contributed to this report.