A tragic incident unfolded in East Westwood yesterday evening, resulting in the death of a 64-year-old man following a firefighting effort and a standoff with SWAT. The Hamilton County Coroner's Office has identified the deceased as Dossie Washington, as reported by LOCAL12. Police were initially called to the scene on Harkness Street regarding a man with an outstanding warrant.
When the man refused to emerge from the property, a special weapons team was dispatched. Near Yoast Avenue, the SWAT units and officers were met with resistance by Washington, supposedly holding a firearm. According to a WLWT report, as the SWAT team was notified of the precarious situation, the house suddenly caught fire. Assistant Fire Chief Matt Flagler told LOCAL12, "We had about 60 firefighters on scene. They used some of the local geography here. They were able to attack the fire from an elevated position from another street over."
The inferno, which inflicted an estimated $80,000 in damage to the property, was described as massive by witnesses. "Officers attempted numerous times to get the subject to come out," Cincinnati police Sgt. Anthony Mitchell recounted to WLWT. A bystander, Davina Jackson, elaborated in an interview with FOX19 that the situation escalated when Washington, arguing with officers, retreated into his house moments before smoke was seen billowing from it.
Firefighters who tackled the challenging blaze found heavy smoke pouring from the single-story family home. All the while, ensuring none of their own were placed in harm's way by the potential of firearms present, as LOCAL12 documented. The fire, whose origins remain unclear, left the house severely damaged and resulted in a tragic loss of life. The ongoing investigation by Cincinnati police seeks to uncover the events leading up to the fire that led to Washington's death.
