What began as an investigation into a bar fight on Youngstown’s North Side late Tuesday turned into a high-speed chase through two communities and the recovery of a weapon that police say is capable of automatic gunfire.

A Youngstown Police Officer and an Ohio State Trooper were traveling north on Logan Avenue near Hubbard Road around 9:30 p.m. when they saw a crowd leaving the Pitt Stop bar parking lot and entering the street as a fight started. A bouncer told the officers that "a couple of guys in ski masks with guns" were causing people to flee.

Police say two masked men walked away from the fight and got into a gray Audi. As the officer approached, the passenger removed his mask, and the officer recognized the driver.

As the vehicle left on Logan Avenue, the officer noticed it had a headlight out and tried to pull it over. Police say the Audi immediately sped away.

An OSP helicopter, already overhead as part of a joint crime crackdown by city police and troopers, tracked the vehicle as it disregarded stop signals and traffic control devices, exceeding 100 mph at times. The pursuit led to Liberty, where the vehicle pulled into a driveway on Euclid Ave. The Trooper in the chopper radioed that two males exited the car and ran north on foot.

According to the report, the driver ran to the back of the house near the bushes and appeared to throw something, while the passenger threw an item into another vehicle in the driveway. Both men got back into the Audi and fled, leading officers on a lengthy chase through Youngstown’s North Side and South Side, again reaching speeds over 100 mph.

The second pursuit ended when the vehicle pulled into an address on Judson. The passenger fled on foot and got away. As two police officers approached the Audi, the driver again took off, nearly striking the officers. One of the officers said he had a clear look at the driver's face at this time.

The chase ultimately led to Eastway Dr., off McGuffey Road on the city’s East Side, where the driver was last seen running into an apartment building. Officers were unable to locate the driver inside the building.

Officers returned to Euclid Avenue in Liberty, where a driver's license belonging to the alleged driver was found in the driveway. Police say a handgun with an extended magazine was found in a parked vehicle, which the helicopter observer said he saw the passenger use.

A second handgun with an extended magazine and modified switch—making it automatic—was in the bushes at the rear of the address, where the helicopter crew reported seeing the driver run and throw something.

A records check showed that the suspected driver had multiple felony gun charges, a felony drug possession charge, and an active warrant for Burglary out of Trumbull County, disqualifying him from possessing firearms.

Police say they intend to file multiple charges against the driver, including failure to comply, obstructing official business, tampering with evidence, improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle, having weapons while under disability and unlawful possession of dangerous ordnance.