Police: Man In Ohio Killed In Exchange Of Gunfire With Officers
MIAMISBURG, Ohio (AP) — A man was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police officers answering a domestic dispute call at his residence, police said.
Chief Charlie Stiegelmeyer of the Miami Township police department said officers were dispatched shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday following a domestic violence call and gunshots were reported at the home minutes later.
Stiegelmeyer said arriving officers could hear the male resident in the garage making threatening remarks such as "I'm ready for a shootout." When they knocked at the front door, the man opened the door, said he would shoot them, and immediately opened fire, Stiegelmeyer said.
Police said all three officers returned fire and the man closed the door. A SWAT team was called and tried to contact the man, finally entering the residence shortly before 1:30 a.m. Monday and finding his body in the hallway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said 41-year-old Frederick Thomas had numerous contacts with police and was a convicted felon not allowed to possess a firearm. Police said a weapon found near him had been fired three times. Police said his wound occurred during the exchange of gunfire with police and was not self-inflicted.
Police said they had been dispatched to domestic dispute calls at the home previously — and in fact, officers were there earlier in the evening on what Stiegelmeyer called a "much, much calmer" call. He said officers ended up taking Thomas to a relative's home, but the relative later took him back to his own home.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was called in to investigate, police said.
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