Multiple Suspects Arrested During Violent Crime Reduction Operation in Cincinnati
(CINCINNATI)— A violent crime reduction operation in Cincinnati led by the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD), Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office led to multiple arrests and the confiscation of several illegally possessed firearms on January 12, 2026.
The multi-agency operation was part of Governor DeWine's Violent Crime Reduction Initiative, which partners state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies on strategic and data-driven operations to identify and arrest repeat offenders responsible for the majority of violent crime in their communities.
Around 9:45 p.m., officers patrolling downtown attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Ford Escape. Officers turned on their emergency overhead lights, but the driver fled.
The OSHP Aviation Unit followed the fleeing vehicle, and officers terminated the pursuit. The driver drove erratically, crashing into two vehicles while trying to evade law enforcement. After striking the second vehicle, one suspect, now identified as 29-year-old Mykez Smith, exited the SUV and ran.
Smith was taken into custody a short time later after a CPD officer deployed a taser. A second suspect, identified as 26-year-old Madison Stallworth, remained in the crashed SUV and was arrested.
It was later determined that the vehicle the suspects were driving had been reported stolen. A stolen handgun was also found in the vehicle.
Both suspects were taken to the Hamilton County Jail. Smith (pictured left) is facing nine charges, including driving without a license, reckless driving, having weapons while under disability, receiving stolen property, and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle. Stallworth is facing seven charges, including carrying concealed weapons, receiving stolen property, and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle.
During a separate incident in Cincinnati on Monday, officers with CPD and troopers with OSHP located a stolen vehicle shortly after 10:30 p.m. The driver failed to comply with a traffic stop and fled from law enforcement.
In an attempt to stop the vehicle, a tire deflation device was deployed, but the driver continued to flee. OSHP’s Aviation Unit followed the vehicle until it eventually stopped, and two suspects exited the car and ran. Shortly thereafter, the suspects, identified as 20-year-old Derrick Latham and 18-year-old Demarzah Brown, were taken into custody, and authorities located two illegally possessed firearms.
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The agencies involved in last night’s initiative include the Cincinnati Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
For more information on violent crime reduction operations happening across the state, visit https://publicsafety.ohio.gov/vci
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