A Friday evening attempt to arrest a wanted man at Charles Street and Columbia Avenue in Middletown ended in gunfire after officers say the 22-year-old pulled a gun on a uniformed officer. Police say officers returned fire, hitting the suspect, who was treated at the scene and taken by medics to a local hospital. No officers were injured, and according to the department the man already had outstanding warrants from Middletown Municipal Court.
In a press release posted by the Middletown Division of Police, officials identified the suspect as 22-year-old Donald S. Madden. Officers reported they were trying to arrest him on outstanding warrants for weapons under disability, felony aggravated menacing and felony resisting arrest when things escalated. According to the release, Madden pointed a gun at a Middletown officer, ran, then fired shots at responding officers before police fired back and struck him. First aid was provided on scene, and medics took Madden to the hospital. The department says the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been called in for an independent investigation.
Investigation moved to Ohio BCI
The Middletown Division of Police asked the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to take over the case, a step that has become standard procedure in Ohio for officer-involved shootings. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office notes that BCI conducts independent reviews of use-of-force incidents, processes crime scenes and prepares investigative files for prosecutors, all in an effort to create an impartial record of what happened.
What happens next
Once BCI wraps up its work, the agency typically turns its findings and case file over to the local county prosecutor. From there, it is up to the prosecutor to decide whether to bring the matter before a grand jury or pursue criminal charges. Local reporting by Journal-News shows Butler County prosecutors have previously relied on BCI files in other Middletown police shootings before making charging decisions.
Local pattern
Middletown has seen several high-profile officer-involved shootings in recent years, and outside investigations by BCI have become a familiar step in the aftermath. Coverage that has documented earlier cases and community reaction has tracked how prosecutors reviewed BCI findings and how residents responded as those decisions came down.
Legal implications
The department’s release states that Madden’s outstanding warrants include weapons under disability, felony aggravated menacing and felony resisting arrest, a stack of alleged offenses that would deepen his legal exposure if he survives, according to the Middletown Division of Police. The BCI investigation, along with any later review by prosecutors, will determine whether additional charges are filed or whether internal actions are taken, in line with the process described by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
