BUCYRUS – Months of internal investigation and a grand jury review following the fatal police shooting of an armed man in Tiro has determined the two involved officers from the Shelby Police Department acted in self-defense.
Crawford County Prosecutor Matthew Crall stated on Tuesday that a grand jury for the Crawford County Common Pleas Court unanimously determined the two officers acted in self-defense and acted reasonably under the circumstances that led to the death of 27-year-old Aaron Fike on Feb. 26.
Crall requested special authority from the Common Pleas Court to discuss the outcome of the investigation publicly.
“Normally, this portion of judicial proceedings is shielded from public view,” Crall said. “This tragedy resulted in the death of Aaron Fike and changed the lives of his family and the officers involved.”
On Feb. 26 at approximately 10 p.m. the Shelby Police Department responded to a request for assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol regarding an active shooter. Three Shelby officers, along with deputies from the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and Richland County Sheriff’s Office, responded.
Crall stated that at 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 26, Fike discharged his shotgun toward Ohio State Trooper Monty Sexton, disabling the trooper’s vehicle. Fike then fled across a field toward his house. He was later confirmed to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
According to Crall, after entering his house and speaking to his mother, Fike left saying that he would either commit suicide or the cops would kill him. He then proceeded to leave the house and advanced rapidly toward officers still carrying his shotgun.
As Fike advanced, Capt. David Mack and Sgt. Aaron Bushey of the Shelby Police Department gave several warnings to Fike to drop his weapon. Upon Fike making a motion to raise his shotgun, the two officers fired and struck Fike in the chest, killing him.
After starting life-sustaining efforts and calling for an ambulance, an investigation began. Mack and Bushey were placed on administrative leave per department policy, according to Shelby Police Chief Lance Combs.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) completed its investigation by speaking to all officers involved and other eyewitnesses. The Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office also received over 3,900 pages of documents and over eight hours of body and cruiser camera footage.
“Despite the apparent clarity of self-defense by the officers and because of the resulting death, I determined that the case should be presented to the grand jury to provide the procedural check on my authority,” Crall said.
Crall said the grand jury heard testimony from Trooper Sexton, who tried to “talk down” Fike prior to Fike’s firing of his shotgun at Sexton and his cruiser. Investigators from BCI played relevant portions of body and cruiser cameras, and jurors were instructed on the law involving use of force by police officers and self-defense.
“The judicial system may not always be perfect,” Crall said. “However, most of its actors, most of the time, act diligently to ensure justice is done.”
