Despite earlier information indicating that the man, identified as Erik Michael Evans, 32, was shot and killed by officer gunfire, an autopsy revealed that none of the shots fired by the officer hit the suspect, said Dayton Assistant Police Chief Eric Henderson.
Police say the officer returned fire but an autopsy on Evans indicates he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and that none of the officer’s shots hit the man, a change from what investigators believed this morning. pic.twitter.com/hpExuimw9O
— Mike Campbell (@MCampbellWHIO) October 29, 2019
Montgomery County Coroner Dr. Kent Harshbarger said that an autopsy showed Evans had a self-inflicted, deadly gunshot on the right side of his head. The officer involved was standing on the other side of the vehicle.
Evans was identified as a suspect in a death investigation on South Hedges Street, where a female was found dead inside a home in the 200 block Monday.
>> RELATED: Death investigation under way after body found in Dayton house
During the incident at the Shell Station at Free Pike and North Gettysburg Avenue, an officer briefly spoke with Evans before he reportedly reached into his waistband before firing one shot at the officer.
Henderson said that Evans reached for his gun after the officer confirmed Evans’ identity and asked him to get out a vehicle that was parked at the gas station.
Evans has previously been arrested for felonious assault, possession of a controlled substance, assault and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, according to police.
This is the man involved in the fatal officer-involved shooting. New information indicates he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, not the officer’s return fire. pic.twitter.com/xO5Roo3I1S
— Mike Campbell (@MCampbellWHIO) October 29, 2019
The officer, Conner Matlock, has been with the Dayton Police Department since Aug. 31, 2017 and works in the West Patrol Operations Division.
He previously received an oral reprimand and one-day suspension in January 2018 for an equipment violation and failure to secure a suspect during transport, Henderson said.
The deceased female found at the South Hedges Street home has not been identified, Henderson said.
UPDATE @ 12:10 p.m.:
Dayton police will hold a news conference at 3 p.m. to release more details into the deadly officer-involved shooting earlier this morning.
The identity of the person shot and killed and the officer-involved have not yet been released, but are expected to be revealed during the news conference.
Additional details about the investigation have also not been released.
We’ll continue to update this page as we learn more.
FIRST REPORT
One man is dead after an officer-involved shooting at the Shell Station at North Gettysburg Avenue and Free Pike, according to Dayton Police Assistant Chief Eric Henderson.
Henderson said that at around 12:34 a.m., officers were in the area due to information that a possible suspect in a homicide investigation was there.
>>Coroner IDs man killed in Dayton police-involved shooting; officers are on leave
As the officers were driving through the gas station lot, they noticed a person in the vehicle described as a white male, and one officer went to talk to him.
Henderson said that as the officer approached, the man pulled out a gun and shot at the officer, after which the officer returned fire with his handgun, striking the man.
A call for officer assistance was issued as an officer called “shots fired” over his radio.
Henderson said that several rounds were fired, but at this early stage of the investigation, they don’t know exactly how many were fired or who fired them.
The man was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
As part of police policy, the officer involved in the shooting is now on administrative leave, pending initial investigation results.
>>State trooper involved in deadly shooting after high-speed pursuit identified
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
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