DANVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) — An Ohio police officer was shot and killed overnight by a man who set out to hurt officers, according to the suspect’s girlfriend.
According to the Knox County Sheriff David Shaffer, Officer Thomas Cottrell was killed in the line of duty late Sunday night.
Sheriff Shaffer said around 11:20 p.m. Sunday, the Knox County dispatch center received a call stating that police officers in Danville were in danger. The woman told dispatchers that her ex-boyfriend, Herschel Ray Jones, had left with weapons and was looking to kill an officer.
Dispatchers then tried to contact the Danville officer on duty, but were unsuccessful. Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office then searched the village.
Shortly before midnight, deputies found the body of Officer Thomas Cottrell on the ground behind the municipal building. His gun had been taken and his cruiser was missing.
Investigators say Jones was seen running from a residence on East Washington Street around 1:36 a.m. Monday. After a foot chase, Jones was taken into custody.
A woman who was outside of the residence was also taken into custody and later released.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident with the help of the Ohio Bureau of Investigation.
Danville is a village in Knox County with a population of just over 1,000 people. The police department employs six people and Chief Daniel J. Weckesser was appointed to the job on January 4.
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