The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating after a Genoa Township police officer fired their gun and an armed sexual assault suspect died Aug. 15 inside Sharon Woods Metropark, according to Police Chief James McMillin.
Township police received a report around noon Saturday, Aug. 15, about a possible sexual assault that occurred in the Delaware County township and involved a suspect who had a gun and left the scene. Township police responding to the report located the suspect's car and began following it into Westerville and Franklin County. It was not a pursuit situation, he said.
Westerville police were notified and as law enforcement attempted to make a stop of the suspect vehicle, the suspect turned into Sharon Woods Metro Park
off Cleveland Avenue, the chief said.
McMillin said a shooting occurred in the park, a Genoa Township officer had fired their gun, and the suspect was dead. The suspect, who was found with a weapon, was not being identified and no further information was being provided.
McMillin was expected to hold another press conference Monday or Tuesday about the shooting.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was called in to investigate the officer-involved shooting. Genoa Township police were investigating the sexual assault.
Sharon Woods Metropark was closed for the day because the shooting occurred inside the park's entrance. Visitors inside the park were not immediately allowed to leave, and some later were directed to drive onto walking trails to an exit as the main entrance/exit was closed for hours while authorities investigated the scene.
Sharon Woods Metropark reopened Sunday, Aug. 16, a park representative said. The representative declined further comment, and was to contact a Metroparks spokesperson to speak with The Dispatch.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio BCI investigating after Genoa police-involved shooting that left suspect dead
