Unrest reported previously at site of officer slayings

CLEVELAND — Police in Ohio had previously responded to three domestic disputes at the home where a man fatally shot two police officers Saturday, but no arrests were made, incident reports from the Columbus suburb of Westerville show.

Westerville officers Eric Joering, 39, and Anthony Morelli, 54, were killed shortly after noon while responding to a 911 hang-up call.

The suspect, 30-year-old Quentin Smith, was shot and wounded by the officers and taken to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in critical condition Saturday, a Westerville city spokeswoman said. The hospital would not provide updates on his condition Sunday.

A series of 911 calls provides some details about what happened at a complex of town homes. Smith lived there with his wife, Candace, and a young daughter.

Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer said at a news conference Saturday that Joering, a 16-year police veteran, and Morelli, a 30-year-veteran, were shot immediately upon entering the residence. Columbus police are investigating.

After the hang-up call, a dispatcher called back and reached a woman who was crying and could be heard saying, “won’t let me in.” Officers were sent to the home. At 12:12 p.m., an officer told a dispatcher it was “all quiet right now,” followed by a door knock. At 12:13 p.m., after a dispatcher confirmed contact had been made, a man could be yelling, “We have shots fired.”

Four minutes later, someone, presumably a police officer, told a dispatcher: “We have two officers down. Child on couch, one at gunpoint.” It’s unclear at what point Smith was shot.

Other calls show Candace Smith was hiding in front of the home, pleading for help because her daughter was inside.