Delaware deputies justified in June killing, prosecutor says

A special prosecutor has ruled that Delaware County sheriff’s deputies were justified in the June 6 shooting death of a Delaware County man during a domestic dispute.

Pickaway County Prosecutor Judy Wolford ruled that Deputies Zachary Swick and Troy Gibson and Sgt. Robert Spring had tried to de-escalate tensions after confronting Brian Puskas, 47, outside his residence in the 11000 block of Kilbourne Road, north of Sunbury in Kingston Township, after his wife had called for assistance.

Wolford wrote in a report to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation that “the officers were in fear for their own lives as well as the lives of other officers and Mrs. Puskas” when they opened fire on Puskas, who had picked up a gun, one of several in his front yard.

Body camera footage and witness statements were used to investigate the standoff that lasted more than 15 minutes before the deputies’ gunfire.

At one point, a police dog was released in an attempt to distract and subdue Puskas. Instead, the dog was drawn to a shirt thrown in the yard. That allowed Puskas to pick up his gun, prompting the deputies’ use of deadly force.

“We value the preservation of life,” Delaware County Sheriff Russell Martin said in a news release. “And while we are grateful that the prosecutor has ruled the shooting justified, we do not celebrate the tragic ending of this incident.”