Dec. 26 – The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation continues to investigate the fatal shooting of a person by a Middletown police officer on Christmas Eve, but little information had been released by the department and other investigating agencies.
Multiple officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Park Lane in the Olde Towne Apartments on Tuesday around 7:04 p.m. Officers knocked on the door of the reported apartment and identified themselves as officers when the suspect allegedly opened the door and displayed a gun. According to police, an officer then shot the suspect.
Dan Hils, president of Frontline Advisors which represents the Middletown Police FOP, said he believes multiple shots were fired by one officer. He also said the 911 call about the fight came from a neighboring apartment.
“I believe there were four officers. One officer knocked on the door and identified himself as a Middletown police officer at least three times,” Hils said.
The name of the person killed and the officers involved in the shooting were not released Thursday. The Butler County Coroner’s Office is handling the case but could not say when the autopsy would be performed and identification released.
Requests for the 911 call, body camera footage and initial reports had not been received as of Thursday afternoon.
Steve Irwin, spokesman for BCI, said the investigation could take several weeks.
Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said BCI was immediately called to investigate and his office was contacted. As is his policy, the investigation result will receive the attention of the grand jury.
“I will go to the grand jury no matter how apparently justified the shooting is because that is my policy,” Gmoser said.
Middletown Police Chief Earl Nelson said the department is not releasing information about the officers involved, but only one officer is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the BCI investigation, which is standard department policy.
“We want to remain impartial. This is a BCI investigation. We have not been briefed on exactly what happened. We are waiting like everyone else,” Nelson said.
Sergeant Dennis Jordan, president of Middletown Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 36, said, “Our officers are fortunate not to have been shot. We are grateful that they are doing well. Condolences go out to everyone involved. It was an unfortunate event that I took place. But it happened and we pray for all the individuals involved.”
This is the third police-involved shooting in Middletown since February 2023.
In April 2023, Middletown police responded to the same apartment complex when they were shot at by a suspect. They returned and shot the suspect, wounding the man. Kyle Kellum recovered, was charged with assault involving a police officer, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity after a trial in regular court.
In February 2023, Middletown police shot and killed a man who pointed a gun at them in the parking lot of the Walmart on Towne Boulevard.
No charges have been filed against the two Middletown officers in the deadly shooting.
The officers’ use of deadly force in the Feb. 25 shooting of 47-year-old Victor Lykins was deemed reasonable by the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, prosecutor David Fornshell announced after reviewing the investigation results.
