Police find man after state trooper shot
After a 14-hour manhunt, police on Thursday afternoon arrested a suspect accused of causing an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper to be shot and seriously injured with his own service weapon late Wednesday night.
Robert Tramaine Hathorn, 42, was captured in Findlay. Sgt. Ryan Purpura, a patrol spokesman, said Hathorn was taken to a hospital to be checked for an injury and was expected to be booked into the Hancock County jail.
The injury occurred during the fight with the trooper,
Sergeant Purpura said.
Hathorn was wanted for shooting Trooper Josef M. Brobst, who had pulled over a Michigan-registered SUV Hathorn was driving on I-75 near Findlay about 11:05 p.m. Wednesday for speeding.
Officials said that after Trooper Brobst made the traffic stop a struggle ensued over his service weapon that resulted in the trooper suffering a gunshot wound in the lower part of his body. Hathorn then fled the scene.
Sergeant Purpura said Trooper Brobst had asked Hathorn to exit the vehicle because he smelled marijuana. The two were standing behind the patrol cruiser when the struggle took place, Sergeant Purpura said. He said he did not know whether the gun had been drawn by the trooper or was still in the trooper’s holster.
Trooper Brobst suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries, according to the highway patrol. He was taken by ambulance to Blanchard Valley Hospital, while his service weapon was in the state patrol’s possession.
An estimated 100 law enforcement officers from various agencies helped in the search, assisted by a highway patrol helicopter from Columbus. A sighting by a member of the public led officers to converge on the location where Hathorn was found.
The Findlay school district closed for the day because of the ensuing manhunt and Owens Community College canceled classes about 9:30 a.m. because of what was described as “a dangerous community situation.”