WESTERVILLE, Ohio (AP) - The Latest on two police officers fatally shot in Ohio (all times local):
10:55 p.m.
Police in Ohio have identified a 30-year-old man as a suspect in the fatal shooting of two police officers in a Columbus suburb, and released reports showing authorities have had several dealings with him, some involving alleged domestic violence.
Westerville police late Saturday confirmed that the suspect is Quentin Lamar Smith. Authorities released incident reports showing police had been to his home or had dealings with him several times since 2017.
In a Nov. 29 incident, police say his wife, 33-year-old Candace Smith, asked about protection orders because she and Quentin Smith weren’t getting along. She accused her husband of threatening to kill her, their daughter and himself. She told police he had a gun.
Police say officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli were shot around noon after responding to a “potential domestic situation.”
___
7:45 p.m.
A teenager who lives across the street from where two Ohio police officers were fatally shot in a Columbus suburb says he heard five or six shots and then saw police cars pulling up.
Trea (TRAY) Horne tells The Associated Press the couple who lived in the Westerville townhome where the shooting occurred Saturday moved in about eight months ago. He says they argued frequently. The 17-year-old says police often were called to the home.
A woman who lives near where the officers were slain says she saw police officers nearly dragging firefighters who responded toward the townhome. Forty-six-year-old Jennifer Ripperger says the neighborhood of townhomes is a mix of renters and owners.
Westerville Police say 39-year-old Eric Joering and 54-year-old Anthony Morelli were shot around noon after responding to a 911 hang-up call.
___
6:10 p.m.
Police in Ohio have identified two officers who were fatally shot at a home in a Columbus suburb and say a suspect is in custody.
Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer says 39-year-old Eric Joering and 54-year-old Anthony Morelli were shot around noon Saturday after responding to a 911 hang-up call. He says they were responding to a “potential domestic situation.”
Morbitzer says the officers “gave their lives in defense of others” and “they’re true American heroes.”
Police provided no details about the suspect
Republican Gov. John Kasich (KAY’-sihk), who lives with his family in a nearby township, and President Donald Trump both sent tweets asking for prayers for the officers’ families and colleagues.
___
4:22 p.m.
Police in Ohio say two officers have been fatally shot at a home in a Columbus suburb, and a suspect is in custody.
Westerville police say in a statement that the shootings happened Saturday after officers responded to a 911 hang-up call around 11:30 a.m. The officers were shot after they arrived at a residence.
Police say a suspect is in custody but provided no other details.
Authorities have scheduled a news conference for later Saturday afternoon.
Republican Gov. John Kasich (KAY’-sihk), who lives with his family in a nearby township, tweeted he’s “very saddened to learn of the deaths of two of my hometown police officers.” He asked Ohio residents to join him in “lifting up these officers’ families in prayer.”
Westerville, on the northeast side of Columbus, is a suburb with about 39,000 residents.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.