A Lorain man was arrested late Sunday night in Vermilion after police say he was speeding, driving under the influence, and carrying a loaded handgun while intoxicated.
At approximately 10:37 p.m. on July 27, Sgt. Leo Chandler of the Vermilion Police Department observed a motorcycle traveling 58 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone along Liberty Avenue. The officer conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Sunoco gas station at 3594 Liberty Ave.
The rider, identified as 33-year-old Joel Matthew Wyatt of Lorain, reportedly showed signs of alcohol impairment. According to the police report, Wyatt had glassy eyes, slurred speech, and the strong odor of alcohol on his breath. He admitted to drinking “a couple of beers” before the stop.
After failing standardized field sobriety tests, Wyatt was taken into custody. Officers also recovered a Canik SFX Rival 9mm handgun from a book bag on the motorcycle. The firearm was fully loaded with 18 rounds and was secured as evidence.
Wyatt submitted to a breath test at the Vermilion Police Department, which showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.155. He was charged with:
- Improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fifth-degree felony
- Operating a vehicle while impaired (OVI), a first-degree misdemeanor
- Operating a vehicle with a prohibited BAC
- Speeding, a minor misdemeanor
According to jail records, Wyatt was booked on two charges: OVI and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle. Additional citations, including speeding and a prohibited BAC level, were filed in court but not listed in the jail booking. Jail records show Wyatt was previously arrested in 2018 by the Lorain Police Department in connection with a weapons-related incident. He was released the same day by court order, and the case was closed without additional jail time.
According to court records, Wyatt was arraigned in Vermilion Municipal Court on July 29 at 3:15 p.m. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, August 5, at 2:00 p.m.
Police noted that the firearm was later test-fired at the Northern Ohio Tactical Training Center and shell casings were submitted to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for comparison and entry into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).
The stop and arrest were captured on Sgt. Chandler’s body-worn camera.