The family of Shannon Sloan has agreed to a $750,000 settlement with the city of Wadsworth over the officer-involved shooting that killed him on June 18, 2024. Announced April 13, 2026, the deal caps a federal civil-rights case filed in December 2024 and follows an independent state investigation into the shooting. For neighbors and advocates, the payout answers the financial question but leaves bigger policy debates still simmering.
Settlement Ends Federal Lawsuit
The $750,000 payment resolves a federal complaint the Sloan family filed in December 2024 in U.S. District Court in Cleveland, according to Cleveland.com. The lawsuit claimed Wadsworth officials failed to put proper policies and training in place and accused officers of ambushing Sloan instead of trying to help him while he was in the middle of a mental-health crisis. The outlet reports that the family’s attorney, Terry Gilbert, did not immediately return messages and that Mayor Robin Laubaugh declined to comment through an assistant.
BCI Report: How the Shooting Played Out
According to a prosecutor summary from the Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Sloan’s wife called 911 around 9 p.m. to report that he had a handgun pressed to his chest and was threatening to kill himself. Investigators say Sloan was later seen in his backyard with a beer can and a loaded Glock resting on his lap. The summary states that officers issued verbal commands and that when Sloan grabbed and raised the gun, two Wadsworth officers fired, hitting him with shots that proved fatal.
Officers Identified and Personnel Moves
The lawsuit and related court filings named the officers who opened fire as Andrew Blubaugh and Matthew Holdridge, according to Cleveland.com. Reporting and public personnel records show that Holdridge resigned from the Wadsworth Police Department in October 2024 with no disciplinary action pending and later joined the North Olmsted Police Department in July 2025. Blubaugh, a roughly 23-year veteran of the force, retired in February.
Bodycams and Local Response
The BCI case file notes that body-worn camera footage was among the evidence investigators reviewed and that the officers involved were placed on administrative leave while the shooting was under review. Local TV coverage and print reporting amplified attention on the case after video of the moments before the gunfire circulated publicly, prompting louder calls for clearer, more consistent procedures when officers respond to mental-health crises.
Larger Context
The Wadsworth settlement lands in the middle of a series of high-profile payouts across Ohio stemming from fatal encounters with police, underscoring the financial and political pressure on local governments. For comparison, Akron agreed to roughly $4.85 million in the case involving Jayland Walker, as reported by local media. Taken together, such cases have intensified public demands for stronger de-escalation training and better coordination between law enforcement and mental-health services.
What the Settlement Resolves and What It Leaves Open
The payment settles the Sloan family’s federal civil claims but does not on its own answer broader questions about department policy, officer training or potential administrative discipline. Any changes on those fronts would have to come through separate local or departmental actions. For the family and the wider community, the settlement closes one legal chapter. For city leaders, it may mark the start of a deeper and more uncomfortable conversation about how officers handle mental-health emergencies in the first place.
