Police officer Jonathon McCoy shot and killed Jason M. Hoops, 33, of Fairborn after a traffic stop of his gray Ford van Sunday evening near Craig Drive and East Bataan Drive.
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Protsman didn’t respond to questions about why Hoops’ vehicle was stopped, what happened in the three minutes from the stop to the gunfire, why McCoy said Hoops’ gun was in a pocket after the shooting or how many shots were fired.
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“We just want to pass on to the public that being an officer sometimes can be very difficult and I understand that they want information. And that they’ll want it quickly,” Protsman said.
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“We want to make sure we do a thorough job again for the officer that’s involved and for the family of the deceased. So, I would ask that they give us some patience and understand that as soon as we get information that we can release, we certainly will do that.”
This news organization has requested cruiser cam footage, McCoy’s personnel records and 911 calls related to the shooting at 6:39 p.m. Sunday in northeast Kettering.
Protsman said those requests have been forwarded to Kettering city attorneys. Kettering Law Director Ted Hamer said Monday afternoon he didn’t have an estimate as to when that information would be available.
Protsman said Hoops’ vehicle was stopped by McCoy at 6:36 p.m. Sunday, three minutes before shots were fired. The Kettering police incident report states, “Suspect failed to comply with verbal orders.”
The chief said that when he reviewed the cruiser cam, two passengers inside Hoops’ vehicle were “begging and pleading for this individual to not touch the gun and to respond to the commands that the officer was giving to him.”
Protsman said at 6:38 p.m. Sunday, McCoy called for additional assistance and at 6:39 p.m., the officer said shots were fired and requested a medic.
“The cop was out with his big rifle,” witness Ashlei Back told this news organization. “And he was yelling, ‘Get down.’ Everything just happened really fast.”
McCoy told dispatchers, “One down, he still has the firearm in his pocket,” according to radio traffic released by Kettering police.
Protsman said, per policy, McCoy has been placed on administrative leave. Protsman said Monday morning that McCoy had not yet been interviewed by investigators. The chief said it was the first time McCoy has fired his service weapon while working for Kettering.
Dispatch traffic indicated Hoops suffered a gunshot wound, but the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office did not elaborate on how many times he was hit or the cause or manner of his death.
Hoops had two 2009 felony convictions in Greene County Common Pleas Court for assault and possession of controlled substances.
Efforts to get comments from Hoops’ family were unsuccessful, but a fund-raising website for Hoops’ funeral stated, in part: “When he was younger he made some mistakes as everyone does. But he was a loving son, brother and father. Everyone that knew Jason liked him and he would do anything to help a friend out.”
At 6:41 p.m., additional officers arrived and administered first aid until medics from the Kettering Fire Dept. arrived. They transported Hoops to Miami Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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McCoy has been with the Kettering police department since May 2015. He also worked as a full-time officer at the University of Dayton from December 2012 until May 2015 and as a part-time officer with Cedarville from November 2013 to May 2015.
Protsman said McCoy is a “very good officer” who is “well-liked” by the department and community. McCoy is a member of the SWAT team and a bicycle officer.
Protsman said Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) will handle the evidence, but that his department will handle both the criminal and internal investigations.
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“I’m very proud of the way they handled the situation,” Protsman said about his officers’ response to the shooting and investigation. “They are a tremendous group of women and men who do things very professionally and handle things very well.
“It is a tragic event, something that happens in law enforcement, obviously, from time to time. We are concerned about the officer who was involved, to make sure that his well-being is good. We’re also concerned about the victim’s family.”
Protsman said he wouldn’t address whether some Kettering residents question the officer’s actions.
“We are investigating that right now,” the chief said. “We are going to go over everything very thoroughly. And again, I’m not going to make any judgments or make any statements until the investigation is complete.”
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Database: Search officer-involved shootings
This incident is the sixth officer-involved shooting in the region this year, according to our I-Team’s online searchable database of 94 officer-involved shootings since 1995. It’s the only incident from Kettering in the database. Search the database at www.MyDaytonDailyNews.com/data/news/police-shootings.
Area officer-involved shootings this year:
Feb. 5, 2017: Englewood police officers shot Shelly Porter multiple times after an altercation at a motel 6 where Porter fought with an officer and had a gun.
Feb. 2, 2017: Centerville police shot and injured an unidentified juvenile who pointed a "replica" handgun at officers and ignored repeated warnings to drop it.
April 22, 2017: Hamilton police shot and killed Michael Wilson-Salzl, 24, who was "mentally disturbed with serious psychiatric conditions with a history of suicidal ideation and attempts," according to Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser. Authorities say he confronted the officer with a knife in an apparent suicide by cop.
June 20, 2017: A Butler County sheriff's deputy shot and killed Jacob Faulkner after being dispatched on a report of an active shooter.
July 4, 2017: Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper in Vandalia shot and killed Dana Dubose, who stabbed his wife to death in her Hamilton County home and a few hours later rammed the trooper's patrol car with his car and then exited the vehicle and lunged at the trooper with a knife.
Aug. 27, 2017: A Kettering police officer shot and killed Jason Hoops, who had a firearm in his pocket when he was shot, according to dispatch traffic.
Source: I-Team officer-involved shooting database
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