A felony warrant service on Conneaut’s 600 block of Orange Street ended in gunfire yesterday, leaving one suspect dead after an encounter in a basement with an Ashtabula County sheriff’s deputy and a Conneaut police officer.
Family members told reporters the suspect and another person were in the basement when officers came into the home. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been called in to handle the review of the shooting.
According to Cleveland.com, the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that officers were attempting to arrest a person wanted on felony charges when the suspect in the basement became noncompliant and the deputy and officer “perceived an immediate threat.” Both opened fire, and the suspect was later pronounced dead.
Family members told Cleveland.com that the other person who had been in the basement, along with additional relatives, left the home before shots were fired. Officials have not released the names of the officers involved or the person who was killed.
State investigators take over
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is now leading the probe, a move intended to provide an outside review of the officer-involved shooting. The agency describes itself as Ohio’s crime lab and investigative arm and handles forensic testing and evidence collection for local cases, according to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
What comes next
BCI investigations can take days or weeks as agents collect and process evidence and interview witnesses. Once the work is finished, the findings are typically turned over to the county prosecutor for review and a decision on any potential charges. For now, investigators have released only limited information, and no criminal charges tied to the shooting have been announced.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office or the Ohio BCI tip line at 855-BCI-OHIO (855-224-6446), per the state agency’s contact page. Local officials did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.
