Morrow County Sheriff identifies deputy shot, killed responding to domestic violence call
A Morrow County sheriff's deputy died in a Memorial Day shootout while responding to what officials are calling a "domestic violence situation."
Deputy Daniel Sherrer, 31, was shot and killed while responding to the incident, Morrow County Sheriff John Hinton said at a May 27 press conference.
Brian Michael Wilson, 53, is charged with aggravated murder in the shooting, according to court records in Morrow County. Wilson was wounded by Sherrer during the exchange.
Sherrer was responding on the evening of May 26 to a report of gunshots from a home in the 100 block of County Road 26 (Olive Green Marengo Fulton Road) at the intersection with County Road 15 (West Liberty-Mount Vernon Road), south of Marengo, according to the sheriff's office.
More: Morrow County Sheriff remembers slain deputy Daniel Sherrer: 'He will be missed'
The gunfire struck Sherrer, who was taken to a local hospital, where he died.
Wilson also suffered a gunshot, and paramedics took him to an undisclosed hospital in serious condition. Hinton would not identify Wilson during his press conference, saying he would not say his name.
The Delaware County Sheriff's Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are leading the shooting investigation.
Sherrer's position with the Morrow County Sheriff's Office was his first job in law enforcement. Hinton said Sherrer will be missed for his personality and that he "always had a smile on his face."
'The guy was never in a bad mood,' the sheriff said, his voice cracking several times during the short media briefing. 'He would go out of his way to see how your day was.'
Hinton said funeral arrangements are pending. He said he spoke with Sherrer's closest surviving relatives, his parents, the night of the shooting.
The sheriff said residents brought the sheriff's office coffee that morning. He said the sheriff's office is 'a family,' and he expects deputies will support each other through the loss.
'They all know I'm a phone call away,' Hinton said. 'I pick up when they call and vice versa … We'll lean on each other.'
Wilson has a criminal history that includes charges related to domestic violence, assault, and aggravated menacing. Court records in Marion County show he was charged in separate incidents from 1994 to 2009. In the aggravated menacing case filed in 2009, he took a plea deal for that lesser charge after he was initially charged with domestic violence.
Sherrer was responding to a reported shooting at Wilson's home, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Morrow County Municipal Court. Someone fired a gun at a truck, and investigators found bullet holes in a house across the street, the affidavit says.
A neighbor spoke to Sherrer when he arrived and said Wilson had spoken to him and said, "I don't want you around this; I don't want you to get involved; if I were to die tonight, I'd be okay with it," according to court records.
When Sherrer approached the house at about 7:40 p.m., Wilson was sitting on the porch holding a gun, according to court records. He told Sherrer not to come up on the porch as the deputy approached the stairs.
Sherrer tried to engage Wilson in conversation, but Wilson threatened him, telling him to "just (expletive) go if you want your family to see you tomorrow" and "get the (expletive) out of here now," according to the affidavit.
Wilson approached the steps, and the two exchanged gunfire, according to the affidavit.
Wilson used two handguns in the shooting, and both were recovered at the scene, police said. The affidavit referenced body camera footage that included audio of the "clicks" from Wilson's revolver as he tried to keep shooting after the gun ran out of ammo, the affidavit says.
The home where the shooting took place is located on a rural road lined with homes and sprawling lots. Law enforcement had cleared the scene by mid-morning on May 27.
James Alison, who spoke to The Dispatch while painting his mother's house a few doors down from the home where the shooting happened, said he heard gunshots the previous night and saw someone performing CPR.
When he first heard the gunshots, he thought somebody may have been shooting at targets, which is normal for the neighborhood, he said. Alison added that the neighborhood is usually very quiet, and he doesn't worry much about shootings.
"I didn't know a cop had been shot," he said. "It's just terrible."
The shooting prompted a response from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who issued a statement the morning after the shooting ordering flags flown at half-staff across the state.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issued a statement saying he "was torn by the loss of yet another Ohio law enforcement officer, who paid the ultimate sacrifice while protecting his community.
Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Morrow County Sheriff identifies deputy shot, killed responding to domestic violence call
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