John Reynolds, Fugitive Sex Offender, Stabs Himself to Death as Cops Close In

Earlier this month, we told you the story of Christopher Bush, who was ruled to have shot himself to death rather than be arrested for a sex crime.

A similar scenario reportedly played out over the weekend near the Colorado community of Olathe.

A significant difference: choice of weapon.

In the latest incident, John Reynolds, a 25-year-old registered sex offender from Ohio who was on the run from a new charge, is said to have committed suicide with a knife as cops closed in.

Reynolds' Facebook page contains plenty of photos, including the upbeat shot above and more serious portraits such as this one....


...and his latest profile pic, from January:


The somber expression is appropriate given the criminal history outlined by Cleveland.com.

The site notes that he pleaded guilty in 2010 to having sex with a thirteen-year-old girl.

He was sentenced to eighteen months in prison but was released after six months. However, he was recently arrested again, this time owing to accusations of sex between June and September with a girl who was fourteen when their illicit relationship started.

Last week, Reynolds split during an interview about the latest offense with detectives in the Ohio community of Akron about the latest offense. Afterward, a warrant was issued for his arrest. The allegation: unlawful sexual conduct with a minor — a second-degree felony owing to his previous conviction.

Two days later, on Saturday, April 25, notes the Montrose Daily Press, Olathe police officers received a call as part of a campaign dubbed "Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately." Shortly thereafter, they pulled over a vehicle on U.S. 50 near mile marker 81, an area captured in the following interactive graphic. If you have problems seeing the image, click "View on Google Maps."


Upon being stopped, the driver — Reynolds — abandoned the vehicle and ran about a hundred yards off the roadway, after which he "brandished an 'edged weapon'" at the officers, the Daily Press maintains.

In retrospect, it's difficult to know if Reynolds was pointing the knife at the cops or himself. At some point in the next several seconds, two things happened: an officer fired his Taser and Reynolds stabbed himself twice in the chest.

According to Olathe police, Reynolds was handcuffed "for safety reasons" before being transported to a hospital in Montrose, where he was pronounced dead.

During Reynolds's autopsy, the Montrose County coroner made note of the Taser marks and some bruising from the handcuffs, as well as a bruise on his nose. But because none of these injuries were life-threatening, he determined that the cause of death was suicide.

The two Olathe police officers involved in the incident are on leave — standard procedure in a case like this. As for whether Reynolds was drunk or otherwise impaired, that determination will have to wait for a toxicology report that could be weeks away.

Look below to see a previous booking photo of John Reynolds.


Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.