A man was in his apartment when he said he heard a saw on metal, Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said.
“He exited his residence and came out and confronted someone who had sawed off his catalytic converter,” the sheriff said.
When the man went to call 911, the suspect reportedly attacked him.
“During the fight there was a gunshot where the suspect was shot in the leg with non-life-threatening injuries,” Streck said.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital. Investigators at the scene spoke to the 911 caller, who is cooperating with authorities.
“Right now we’re investigating it as a self-defense incident,” Streak said. “Once the investigation is complete we will present everything to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office and they will decide how to proceed.”
During the 911 call, the man said he had the suspect at gunpoint and that he shot him in the leg, according to Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center records.
“He was stealing my stuff,” the 911 caller said. “I told him to stop. He started fighting me. I told him if he didn’t stop I was going to shoot him. I shot him in the leg.”
Streck said the caller previously had a catalytic converter stolen.
The sheriff added authorities aren’t seeing a surge in incidents, but that they’re ongoing.
“It’s not that we’re getting an onslaught of catalytic converters thefts,” Streck said. “The problem is it doesn’t slow down and it can move from place to place.”
Car owners can place products that go under vehicles or paint or initial catalytic converters to help prevent thefts, but the sheriff said the focus should be on stopping people who are stealing them.
“If Ohio would tighten up their laws, which I wish they would, they may go to another state,” he said. “But as long as people are paying good money for these catalytic converters this stuff is going to happen.”
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