CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The Guardian has obtained the drone video that the local Sheriff says spawned the county’s decision to ban the annual biker rodeo from Ross County.
The Easyrider Rodeo has been held annually at the Ross County Fairgrounds for decades. The event draws thousands of motorcyclists from all over the country for the three-day event. This year, however, was the last year the event will be held in Ross County, according to the Sheriff.
“At the meeting, Ross County Sheriff George Lavender and members of his command staff addressed the board and provided a video of drone footage of this year’s rodeo. During the Sheriff’s comments, he described a situation that took place this year during the event that he felt put the lives of his deputies and possibly the community at large in a life-threatening situation,” said fair board president Brad Cosenza said. While Cosenza and the Sheriff did not elaborate on what the “life-threatening situation” was, the Guardian filed a public records request with the county for more information.
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In a copy of the drone video obtained by the Guardian, several bikers are shown congregating around a golf cart inside the fairgrounds, while deputies take cover awaiting backup, in an apparent standoff. While the Sheriff has not returned a request for comment from the Guardian to further explain the video or the incident, the Sheriff has spoken to other local media about the incident. Lavender told GateHouse Media that his office had an undercover deputy embedded inside a biker gang within the rodeo, who saw that multiple bikers were assembling guns and weapons to battle each other after one of their members was assaulted.
The Sheriff said the situation was so grave that the undercover deputy felt it was necessary to blow his cover and hold some of the bikers at gunpoint until backup arrived.
No one was charged in the situation, but the Sheriff and the fair board said the rodeo is not welcomed back to the area.