Deputy kills man after threats made

A man is dead in an officer-involved shooting after threatening to harm himself with a firearm in Apple Creek on Sunday morning.

Wayne County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call for assistance from the Apple Creek Police Department at 10:48 a.m. Upon arrival, the deputies learned that a 60-year-old man from Apple Creek armed with a handgun was behind a business in the downtown area and threatening to harm himself with the firearm, according to a news release.

For the next 34 minutes, deputies and other officers from the Apple Creek Police Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol attempted to calm the situation, but the man continued to hold the gun to his head and told the officials that they were going to have to “shoot him” as he continued to roam around downtown, the release stated.

The man then approached one of the responding deputies, who told the man to stop and drop the handgun multiple times. The man refused to stop and closed his distance to the deputy to less than 40 feet while telling the deputy to shoot him, according to the release.

The deputy then fired one round from his rifle that struck the man. Emergency medical responders arrived at the scene and transported the man to Wooster Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Apple Creek resident and his identity are being withheld pending family notification.