MANSFIELD, OH — August 7, 2025
A Mansfield man was arrested early Wednesday morning after a multi-hour manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies, aerial drone support, and a physical altercation with deputies.
James Robert Sowders, 40, of Skyline Road, was taken into custody around 5:14 a.m. at a residence on North McElroy Road following a foot pursuit and standoff with Richland County Sheriff’s deputies. Sowders is facing multiple charges, including burglary (ORC 2911.12), resisting arrest causing physical harm to a law enforcement officer (ORC 2921.33B), and obstructing official business (ORC 2921.31).
The search began in connection with an earlier case (GO #2025-18026) where Sowders allegedly threatened to set his ex-girlfriend’s house on fire and sent multiple suicidal messages. Due to these threats, Richland County Dispatch initiated a ping of Sowders’ cellphone, which led authorities to the McElroy Road area.
Deputies established a perimeter and requested assistance from the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office Drone Team and RCSO K9 units, including K9 Turbo. According to the incident report, Sowders was eventually found hiding under a pickup truck inside an occupied garage at 428 N. McElroy Rd. Deputies entered the garage with permission from the homeowner.
When confronted, Sowders refused verbal commands and fled on foot, jumping fences and hiding under a camper nearby. The drone team tracked his movement, and deputies closed in. Despite multiple attempts to subdue him—including an unsuccessful taser deployment by Lt. Jason Shoemaker—Sowders resisted arrest. A violent struggle ensued involving several deputies.
Deputy reports describe efforts to forcibly control Sowders, including physical strikes and threats to break his arm if he did not comply. Lt. Shoemaker suffered a visible injury to his lip during the struggle. Sowders was eventually subdued, handcuffed, and treated at the scene by Madison Township Fire before being transported to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital. After medical clearance, he was taken to the Richland County Jail.
Evidence collected at the scene included Sowders’ cellphone, a taser cartridge, and photographs documenting the injuries and arrest location.
Sowders is currently being held on multiple felony charges. His arrest was officially cleared by Deputy Logan Dilley and supervised by Lt. Cayla Schaad.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Office has not reported any injuries to civilians, and no firearms were used during the incident, despite initial concerns that a loud noise might have been a gunshot. Officers later confirmed it was the sound of the taser deployment echoing in the enclosed area.