Suspect held in Ohio officer's slaying has lengthy record

DANVILLE, Ohio --Court records show the suspect in a fatal shooting of an Ohio police officer has a lengthy criminal record and in one case tried to claim he was legally insane.

Knox County Sheriff David Shaffer said Herschel Ray Jones III is being held in connection with the slaying late Sunday of Danville Officer Thomas Cottrell.

Cottrell's body was found behind the village's municipal building after a woman reported her ex-boyfriend had weapons and was looking to kill an officer.

Knox County court records show the 32-year-old Jones has multiple convictions for breaking and entering, burglary, receiving stolen property and carrying a concealed weapon dating back to 2001. In a 2011 case, he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity before changing his plea to guilty.

Ohio prison records show he served nearly four years for the 2011 convictions of burglary and receiving stolen property. He was released last April.

The president of Ohio's Fraternal Order of Police says the death of the village policeman is the latest reminder that officers are often targeted for violence. Ohio FOP President Jay McDonald said in a statement that the organization's 25,000 members are heartbroken over the "assassination" of Cottrell.

After Jones' ex-girlfriend warned that officers in the Danville area were in danger, dispatchers frantically put out a call and failed to make contact with Cottrell. Deputies from the Knox County Sheriff's officer were dispatched, but all they turned up initially was Cottrell's hat with blood on it.

Their worst fears were later realized 20 minutes later when they found Cottrell's body behind the Danville Municipal Building. He died from gunshot wounds and his gun and patrol car had been stolen.

He was the first officer killed in the state of Ohio in 2016 and the first Danville officer ever slain, reports CBS affiliate WBNS.

Jones was tracked down a short while later, and spotted at 1:30 a.m. running out of a house. Police gave chase, and caught him near Danville Park. Cottrell's patrol car was found a short distance from the arrest, the station reports. Jones has been named as the prime suspect in the murder.

No charges have been announced yet.

Danville is located about 60 miles northeast of Columbus and 100 miles southeast of Cleveland.