MANSFIELD, Ohio – David Parker, 58, the suspect who was involved in a roughly 27-hour police standoff at 36 Randall Road, died at 12:27 p.m. today at OhioHealth MedCentral Mansfield Hospital, Richland County coroner’s assistant Bob Ball said.
Mansfield Law Director John Spon said Parker fired two or three shots shortly before he was shot at approximately 10:56 a.m. “Based upon information that we have, he fired two or three rounds, I believe, and then there was a response and he was shot, we believe by one of our snipers, Spon said.
“It happened very rapidly and we were several hundred feet away. The only people that were there were the actual snipers and I believe the Ohio State Highway Patrol Special Operations Team–they were the only individuals there. So what happens is they get debriefed by their own people, and then gradually the law enforcement agencies collaborate amongst themselves and sort out the facts. And all of these facts are reviewed, examined and are part of the investigation by independent investigatory authorities.”
Mansfield officers were dispatched at approximately 8:26 a.m. Monday morning after a Columbia Gas employee called 911 to report a man armed with a rifle came to the door after the gas employee attempted to make contact with him.
According to Columbia Gas Communications Manager Jason Copsey, the employee was not there to turn off the resident’s gas, as had been reported.
“Shutting off service was not the purpose of our technician’s presence at the residence,” Copsey said. “He was doing an inspection; he was not there to shut off gas. When he arrived, he attempted to make contact, knocking on the door for about 10 minutes. When he was unsuccessful, he returned to his vehicle. At that point the door opened and a gentlemen stepped out. He had a gun and was shouting something.”
The gas employee left to a safe distance and called 911.
“At that point 911 dispatched officers. The officers arrived; we secured the location. We tried to make contact through a PA (bullhorn) to the gentleman inside,” Mansfield Police Chief Ken Coontz said.
Law enforcement was unable to make contact with Parker and he refused to speak with officers. Eventually SWAT was deployed and officers heard rounds fired.
“There were 22 incidences where shootings had occurred from inside the house out toward the officers,” Coontz added, “At least two SWAT vehicles were damaged and some equipment that was shot at. The officers were shot at directly. We did return some fire.”
Parker was asked at least 308 times to surrender, Coontz said.
“The problem was, he was well-armed and our law enforcement could not possibly try to enter that home,” Spon said. “There was no question that this individual was intending to kill police officers.”
Officers were concerned the house may have been filled with explosives, Spon said.
“We knew at some points in time he was in various places of the residence. He seemed to occupy the basement most of the time, so the thought was to flood the basement, displace him from that basement, and that way we’d have only one or one-and-a-half levels to do deal with,” he said.
He noted, “The officers occupied the perimeter around the home and there were snipers around the home. Nobody was rushing this individual. He initiated the shooting.”
To Spon’s knowledge, no law enforcement officers sustained any injuries as a result of this incident.
“Without question this was one of the most dangerous circumstances I’ve seen in 42 years involving law enforcement because of the extreme close proximity with an individual that had very powerful weapons, and many times they were at risk,” he said.
Parker has a history of “bizarre, unstable and volatile behavior,” Spon described.
“He’s had problems with neighbors that resulted in physical violence. We aren’t sure, but we believe he might have had some anti-government beliefs,” he said.
Frank Gonzales, Parker’s next-door neighbor, could attest to Parker’s “bizarre and volatile” nature.
Though he’s never spoken with him directly, Gonzales said, “This guy was nuts just the way he acted around people and the way he never spoke to anybody. And with the incident he had with my dad a few years back–they got into a fist-fight.”
He said Parker also tried to shoot his dog.
“He flips me the bird every time he sees me, and he posted a sign outside his house a couple years ago talking bad stuff about my family, he said.
“He didn’t need to be walking the streets around here. He was a threat to everybody, obviously.”
Spon commended the officers for how they handled the situation.
“There was a tremendous amount of bravery and courage demonstrated by the officers, he said.
“Their patience and their courage was absolutely phenomenal, and this was a situation where our law enforcement pleaded for this individual to surrender and he chose not to and that left no other alternative.”
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) is handling the investigation.
“They will take control of the investigation to confirm that all of the appropriate procedures were followed. Securing the scene, collecting evidence, all of those things will be done under the auspices of BCI in cooperation with our local law enforcement and others,” Spon said.
“The problem was, he was well-armed and our law enforcement could not possibly try to enter that home,” Spon said. “There was no question that this individual was intending to kill police officers,” Law Director John Spon said.
