Hamilton market shooting: Clerk’s claims of self-defense will get grand jury review

A grand jury will review a shooting that happened Monday afternoon at a Hamilton market, according to Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser.

“It is going to a Butler County grand jury for review because it is a matter involving deadly force,” Gmoser told the Journal News today.

He added he has been contacted by Hamilton police about the case and will allow them to finish the investigation before scheduling a grand jury review.

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All incidents involving deadly force with a claim of self-defense, as well as officer-involved shootings, have received a grand jury review, per Gmoser’s policy.

Emergency units responded to the store at about 12:55 p.m. for a report of person shot and found a man sitting across the street with a gunshot wound to the back, according to the police report.

The victim, Kenneth Wayne Wells Jr., 38, of Minster Street in Hamilton, suffered a non-life-threatening injury, according to Hamilton Sgt. Rich Burkhardt. A shot was fired through a window, hitting Wells in the back, according to police.

“There was some type of fight inside between (him), and the clerk shot through the window,” Burkhardt said.

The clerk, who was not named by police, has been questioned, but no charges had been filed Tuesday.

Gmoser declined to comment about the details of the ongoing case, but in a 911 call, a man at Singletary’s Carry Out on Second Street indicates he was attacked and that the attacker was armed.

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A female 911 caller told county dispatchers that a man had been shot at the market and was bleeding.

“Somebody just got shot at Singletary’s store … please come quick the boy has still got the bullet in his back, ” the caller said. “The dude ran up in the store and he shot the dude.”

A male 911 caller who said he was in the store told dispatchers he needed police and that he had been attacked.

“I just got attacked by a couple guys. One guy with his girlfriend … he was armed and he tried to attack me. I don’t know what happened, just can you please send an officer,” said the male caller.

The dispatcher said there was a call of shots fired at his location and asked if someone had been shot.

“Yea, I have been attacked, so …,” the man answered.

When the dispatcher said attacked means he was punched in the face, the caller said, “He got a gun, I just don’t know.”

The dispatcher asked the man how many times he had been shot, and he said none.

“No times yet,” the caller said. “Not yet, but I will be.”

Then screaming is heard in the call and it disconnected. There was no answer on call back.

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