Investigation underway after officer fatally shoots pursuit suspect; here's what we know

Yahoo

19-03-2025

A Lockland police officer fatally shot a man early Wednesday while authorities were searching for suspects involved in a police pursuit that started in Butler County.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has taken over the shooting inquiry − as routinely happens in fatal police shootings statewide − but police departments that responded to the incident have released statements about what happened.
Here's what we know so far about the shooting and police chase that preceded it.
West Chester Township police began the pursuit at the intersection of Princeton Glendale Road and Provident Drive after they received notification from a license plate reader of a stolen vehicle, according to a township spokeswoman.
Officers located the vehicle and attempted to pull it over but the driver fled.
West Chester officers pursued the vehicle for approximately six miles and ended the chase at the Hamilton County line, where it was picked up by other departments.
Several police departments responded at about 2:45 a.m. to assist when the chase entered Hamilton County, according to the Evendale Police Department.
The vehicle being pursued was found crashed near Glendale Milford Road and Evendale Drive, though the suspect was not found there, officials said.
After one suspect had been taken into custody, a Lockland officer located a second suspect walking along the interstate, Lockland Police Chief Michael Ott said in a news release.
"The officer reported the suspect had something in his hands and was refusing to obey commands," Ott said. "The officer attempted to use less lethal force to address the non-compliant suspect, but the Taser didn't stop the suspect."
As the suspect disobeyed police commands, the Lockland officer, whose identity has not been released, opened fire on the suspect and struck him in the chest, Ott said.
Police and other first responders began providing medical care to the wounded suspect but he did not survive. Officials have yet to release the names of the suspect or officer.
Automated networks of license plate readers are becoming more common, especially with the widespread adoption of Flock cameras. These readers can be installed on police cruisers or in stationary positions throughout a city.
The technology allows police to see which cars were in an area at the time of a crime and if police are searching for a vehicle, the network can alert police if that specific license plate is spotted and where.
License plate readers have helped investigators track suspects in violent crimes, including after an employee at a Springdale hotel was shot and killed at work last year.
The shooting on Wednesday follows a spate of recent police shootings in Greater Cincinnati, although the others did not result in a fatality.
Covington police officers shot Charles Davis, 62, shortly after a robbery at the U.S. Bank on Madison Avenue on Feb. 28. Davis brandished what appeared to be a handgun and pointed it at the officers, however, he was wielding a toy gun modified to look more like a real firearm, officials said.
The same day, officers shot Robert Brandon Eldred, 39, who is accused of charging at sheriff's deputies with an ax in Columbia Township, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
Cincinnati police then responded on the night of March 2 to Walnut Hills after receiving a 911 call and shot 31-year-old Patrick Lyons after he charged at officers with a knife, the department said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lockland officer fatally shoots man on I-75 after stolen vehicle chase