Dayton detective back to full duty

Sheriff’s office, police investigating Jan. 20 incident on Salem Ave.

Investigation continues into Salem Avenue incident in which detective shot at suspect who allegedly drove vehicle at officer.

The Dayton police detective who fired his service weapon at a suspect who allegedly drove his vehicle at the officer returned to full duty on Monday, a police spokeswoman said.

Police said Det. Justin Saunders fired shots Jan. 20 during an investigation outside Lev’s Pawn Shop on Salem Avenue after the driver of a suspect vehicle “attempted to strike a detective with the vehicle,” according to a prepared statement from the department.

Joshua A. Craver and William Goodwin, both 18, were arrested at 3351 Salem Ave. by Riverside police. Both have been indicted on charges of aggravated robbery, burglary, theft of an elderly person and six counts of grand theft of firearms.

The criminal probe is being done by the Montgomery County Sheriff ’s Office and Dayton police will do an internal investigation. The case pertaining to whether Saunders would face any criminal charges was planned to be presented to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office this week.

Saunders, who has been with the Dayton police department since 2008 other than a brief tenure in Springfield, had been on paid administrative leave.

Saunders has met or exceeded all standards in all the yearly reviews provided by city officials, according to personnel records obtained by this news organization.

In the detective’s 2016 performance appraisal — the most recent available — Saunders gained highest marks for interpersonal skills, productivity, teamwork and judgment/initiative. Saunders also fired his weapon in a police-involved shooting in 2016.

A supervisor wrote that Saunders “takes an active role in becoming involved in a hands-on fashion when it comes to appre- hending suspects and persons of interest.”

Saunders has had six written commendation or letters of appreciation from 2008 until 2016, according to personnel records obtained by this news organization.

They included commendations for arresting two burglars, an arrest of a multi-county vehicle pursuit, the apprehension of three juvenile robbery suspects and his response to a sex