Clayton police Chief Matt Hamlin shared new details Friday about the first officer-involved shooting in Clayton Police Department history.
“We want to emphasize the deep sense of tragedy that has touched our community here,” Hamlin said. “We are profoundly grateful to the various agencies that swiftly responded, ensuring the safety of our residents.”
Two officers were attempting to a serve a warrant out of Middletown around 1:45 p.m. for 22-year-old Elijah Clements near Hacker Road and Volk Drive. Officers spotted Clements on a porch in the 300 block of Hacker Road.
“The suspect fled into the home and ran upstairs to a bedroom where he barricaded himself,” the chief said. “When officers tried to make contact, the suspect fired several rounds at the officers, hitting one of the officers in the arm.”
Officer Cody Cecil, who joined the department in 2015, was identified as the officer who was shot.
Cecil had surgery Friday morning and is recovering at Miami Valley Hospital.
“He is in stable condition and all went well,” Hamlin said. “He is maintaining a positive outlook.”
It is not clear how many shots were fired, and the chief said he does not believe officers returned fire.
A family of two adults and two children was home at the time. Three family members and officers escaped, but a young man was trapped for about half an hour before he jumped from a second-story window, Hamlin said.
Robert and Tabitha Clements released a statement Friday regarding the incident and death of their son:
“As the firstborn of our six children, he has battled through mental health issues over the years, but unfortunately, could not find a way past a recent downward spiral.
“On behalf of our family, our thoughts and prayers are with the injured officer, and we thank everyone who put their life in harm’s way in an attempt to bring about a peaceful resolution.”
The Montgomery County Regional SWAT and Dayton SWAT teams responded and attempted to engage with Clements, Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said Thursday.
SWAT crews left around 5 p.m., and the sheriff’s office confirmed Clements was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
A signal 99, or emergency call for officer assistance, was issued during the incident, resulting in law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responding to the area.
Police agencies that responded include Brookville, Butler Twp., Clay Twp., Dayton police and SWAT, Englewood, Kettering, Oakwood, Perry Twp., MetroParks rangers, Trotwood, Union, Vandalia, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and SWAT.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation.
Middletown police confirmed Clements was wanted for arson, aggravated menacing and domestic violence charges.
His girlfriend reported he threatened to kill her earlier this week, according to Middletown Municipal Court records. She told police he previously had punched and strangled her and she feared for her life.
Clements reportedly told her if she didn’t return to a Beech Street residence in Middletown things would go up in flames.
When police responded to the house, it was on fire, according to court records. Witnesses reported seeing a man run out the back door.
The address listed for Clements on the Middletown court documents was for a Volk Drive residence near the 300 block of Hacker Street.
Hamlin said Clements was familiar to the community and police had not had previous interactions with him.
Sandy Freeman, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years, said she never experienced anything like what happened on Thursday afternoon.
”I saw dozens and dozens of police officers’ cars coming up the road, Clayton, Englewood, sheriff’s department,” she said.
Parked in front of her yard was one of the SWAT teams, the command center for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and she also saw FBI agents.
However, she said with the enormous police presence, she felt entirely safe.
”I think it’s an isolated incident. It was quite scary. We’ve never had anything like this happen in the community before. It was a little bit unnerving,” Freeman said.
Staff writer Lauren Pack contributed to this report.
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