SHELBY — A man who fired a rifle and then pointed it at Shelby police officers early Wednesday morning was transported to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital after he was wounded by officers.
Shelby police Capt. Eric Rath said he believed the man, whose identity has not been released, was in stable condition at the hospital.
Officers went to do a welfare check Tuesday at 11:51 p.m. on a man who was “potentially armed and suicidal” at the west end of Seneca Drive, according to an emailed press release from Shelby police Chief Lance Combs.
As officers approached, a man standing near a vehicle in the area fired a rifle, according to Combs, who said officers retreated and established a perimeter with the help of other agencies.
Seneca Drive is on the near southside of Shelby, west of Ohio 39.
“Officers repeatedly attempted dialogue with the individual, who responded by firing additional shots,” Combs said. “At approximately 12:52 a.m., the individual pointed the rifle at officers, and two Shelby officers fired at the individual.
“It was determined that the individual was struck by the officer’s gunfire, and he was ordered to move away from his weapon.”
The chief said officers formed a four-man team to approach the man, secure his gun and provide first aid. Combs said the Shelby Fire Department and Superior Ambulance were staged at the scene and immediately began treatment before the man was taken to the hospital in Mansfield.
As of late Wednesday morning, police declined to identify the citizen involved in the shooting, labeling him as an uncharged suspect.
Combs said his department was assisted by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Plymouth Police Department, Ontario Police Department and Mansfield Police Department.
He said the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office was notified and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was contacted to conduct an investigation into the shooting.
Per departmental policy, both officers were placed on paid administrative leave, pending review of the incident, the chief said.
“To ensure the integrity of the BCI investigation, no additional information will be released at this time,” Combs said.
