POLICE HAD GONE TO HOME THREE TIMES BEFORE SHOOTING
CLEVELAND» Police in Ohio had previously gone to the home where a man fatally shot two police officers for three domestic disputes but no arrests were ever made, incident reports from the Columbus suburb of Westerville show.
Westerville officers Eric Joering, 39, and Anthony Morelli, 54, were killed shortly after noon Saturday in this normally quiet suburb 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 released by the city of Westerville provide some details about what happened Saturday at a complex of townhomes. Smith lived there with his wife, Candace, and a young daughter.
Westerville police have provided few details about what happened inside the townhome. Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer said at a news conference Saturday that Joering, a 16-year veteran, and Morelli, a 30-year-veteran, were shot immediately upon entering the residence. Columbus police are investigating the shootings.
After the initial hang-up call at noon, a dispatcher called the number back and reached a woman who was crying and can be heard saying, “won’t let me in.” Officers are then sent to the home. At 12:13 p.m., after a dispatcher confirms contact has been made, a man’s voice can be yelling, “We have shots fired.” — The Associated Press ●●●