Authorities are currently conducting an investigation following an officer-involved shooting in Wayne County Sunday morning.
According to the county sheriff, a man armed with a handgun was behind a business in downtown Apple Creek threatening to cause harm to himself. Officers then "attempted to calm the situation" for the next 34 minutes, but the man continued to hold the weapon to his head and told officers they would "have to shoot him."
Authorities say the man then approached officers and ignored multiple warnings to drop the gun, apparently coming as close as 40 feet from the officers. A sheriff's deputy then fired a single round that struck the man and ended the situation, and the man was later pronounced dead at Wooster Community Hospital. His identity has not been released.
Per protocol, the officer involved has been placed on leave during the investigation. Sheriff Travis Hutchinson released the following statement:
“My deputies respond to suicidal individuals almost daily and have a long history of getting these people the medical help they need without arrest. In this case, the deputies did all they could to obtain help for this man. Sadly this the man not only refused this help but placed the responding law enforcement officers and members of the public in danger while making threats towards their safety."
