A 20-year-old man being escorted to serve a one-year prison sentence broke free of his handcuffs and attacked two sheriff’s deputies before he could be stopped inside the Columbiana County Court on Monday.
Timothy J. Reaggle had just been sentenced to a year in prison when a bailiff began walking him down a courthouse hallway. According to video released by the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office, Reaggle slipped his handcuffs, turned and struck the bailiff in the throat, then took off running.
As he fled, Reaggle lowered his shoulder and drove into a second deputy, knocking him to the ground, before making for a stairwell with an officer chasing behind him. He stumbled at the bottom of the stairs into the arms of another deputy, broke loose again, and ran toward the front door of the courthouse before being Tasered from behind.
Three officers then took Reaggle to the ground, with one applying a hold to subdue him. Video also showed bystanders rushing to help the two injured deputies, one of whom was later seen on the floor bleeding from the head and pressing a paper towel to his face.
Columbiana County Sheriff Brian McLaughlin told WFMJ that both deputies suffered broken bones in the incident but have since been released from the hospital. Reaggle is now being held at the Columbiana County Jail and will eventually be transferred to state prison to serve his sentence.
He has not yet been formally charged in connection with Monday’s escape attempt, but Sheriff McLaughlin said Reaggle will likely face charges of assault on a police officer and felony escape.
Background on the case
Reaggle appeared in court Monday over a February 2025 case in which he allegedly broke into a home while three residents were inside and then assaulted or threatened them. He was also charged with aggravated menacing, accused of making one resident fear serious harm to himself or his property, and with fleeing from police in a vehicle after officers signaled him to stop.
On July 13, Reaggle withdrew a not-guilty plea and pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, aggravated menacing, failure to comply and two counts of assault, several of which had been reduced from the original charges. He was sentenced to one year in prison Monday, just before his attempted escape.
