WAYNE TWP. — A 39-year-old Pike County man is being held in the Fayette County Jail after allegedly assaulting a deputy and attempting to take the deputy’s firearm from his holster.

According to Fayette County Sheriff Vernon Stanforth, at approximately 5:17 a.m. on Jan. 16, his office responded to US 35 West around mile marker 87 on a report of an officer in distress. Fayette County deputies located two men — one a Pike County Sheriff’s Office deputy and the other a Pike County Jail inmate, later identified as Jimmy L. Mills — who were involved an a physical altercation with one another.

FCSO deputies were able to assist in taking the inmate back into custody, Stanforth said. After securing the inmate, during transport Mills allegedly removed a portion of the transport cage and tried to use it to escape from the transport van.

The Pike County deputy reported that upon stopping the van to try to prevent the inmate from escaping, Mills used the piece of the metal partition to assault the deputy, then exited the secured area and attempted to steal the transport van.

The deputy reported that during the struggle, Mills allegedly attempted to remove the deputy’s firearm from his holster before fleeing on foot into a nearby field, where he was later taken into custody.

The Pike County deputy was later transported by Fayette County EMS to Adena Fayette ER, where he was treated for injuries sustained in the incident.

Mills is being held in jail on a $100,000 bond on charges of felonious assault on a law enforcement officer and aggravated robbery, as well as charges from the Pike County Sheriff’s Office.