November 4th, 2023 - North Olmstead, Ohio

Published November 4th, 2023

An officer with the North Olmstead, Ohio, Police Department was shot early Saturday morning. At approximately 1:40 a.m. Saturday, officers with the North Olmstead Police Department responded to a 911 call from a woman who said she was physically assaulted by a man who told her that someone was trying to kill his uncle. On arrival, officers observed a nearby home engulfed in flames and encountered a 27-year-old male with a gun, who opened fire on the officers. In the exchange of gunfire, both the man with the gun and one of the officers were struck multiple times. Firefighters responded and extinguished the fire at the residence. Subsequent investigation revealed a 52-year-old male, who had been shot at least once, deceased inside the home.

The man with the gun who was shot by police was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries the next day. The officer, who according to North Olmstead Police Chief Bob Wagner was shot twice, once in the arm and once in the chest, where the ballistic-resistant vest the officer was wearing stopped the round, was treated at a local hospital, and released the same day. The house fire is being investigated by the Ohio State Fire Marshals Office, and the shooting is being investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.