The incident ended after troopers approached the semi truck on Dayton International Airport Access Road in an attempt to remove the hostage from the vehicle and gunfire erupted, said Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Nathan Dennis.
As troopers got near the vehicle, the male and female suspects began to shoot at troopers, who returned fire, Davis said. Both suspects were shot and transported to Miami Valley Hospital. The woman was pronounced dead at the hospital and the man was in critical condition but later died, Dennis said.
The hostage was also taken to Miami Valley Hospital with minor injuries. It is not clear what caused those injuries.
No officers were injured.
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
The incident started in London around 1 a.m. Wednesday after police attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle with no rear lights or visible registration on U.S. 42, according to the London Police Department.
Chief Glenn Nicol said as the officer approached the vehicle the driver and passenger provided false information. The officer was returning to his cruiser when the van fled.
The suspects fled in the vehicle to a truck stop near the Interstate 75 exit, where they continued on foot. An officer attempted to deploy a Taser and a male suspect fell and pointed a handgun at the officer, according to police. The suspect got to a semi truck without a trailer and then fled with the female suspect as well as the driver of the truck.
As they were fleeing the truck stop they reportedly hit a London police cruiser. The cruiser had minor damage and no officers were injured, Nicol said.
The Ohio State Patrol and Madison County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and joined a chase with London police.
Maximum speeds were around 60 to 65 mph, Nicol said.
“Usually we try to not engage in such a long pursuit,” the chief said. “However with the speeds and the seriousness of crime and with the abduction taking place we had to maintain contact with that vehicle.”
The chase ended around 3:23 a.m. on Dayton International Airport Access Road between U.S. 40 and I-70, according to OSHP. Stop sticks were used during the chase and were effective in stopping it, Dennis said.
“At that point in time the OSHP Special Response Team, in conjunction with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office negotiators, were working to speak with the suspects as well as the victim to try to get this to a peaceful conclusion,” he said.
Negotiations continued for about four hours by cell phone. Around 7:30 a.m., the Special Response Team approached the semi truck to get the hostage and the suspects allegedly fired at troopers.
The incident closed the I-70 ramps to Dayton International Airport Access Road as well as Dayton International Airport Access Road for several hours.
It is not clear how many rounds were fired during the shooting. The windshield of the semi truck had more than a dozen bullet holes in it. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the officer-involved shooting, said Steve Irwin, a spokesperson for BCI, The investigation is in its preliminary stages and is active and ongoing, he said.
London police is handling the criminal investigation.
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