LORAIN, Ohio — Three Lorain city police officers remain in Cleveland-area hospitals after being shot on Wednesday in what’s being called an “ambush,” according to investigators.
What You Need To Know
- Two officers are in critical condition, a third was shot in the hand and is expected to recover
- The name of the suspect has not been released
- Officials said the suspect was a lone gunman
- There is no ongoing threat to the public
The shooting happened at about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, near the 2200 block of Colorado Avenue near River Bend Drive in Lorain.
Officials said the suspect, a 28-year-old man, had parked his car on a nearby dead-end street and opened fire on a patrol vehicle. Two officers inside the vehicle were injured.
“It’s my understanding they were patrolling,” said Elyria Police Chief James Welsh during a press conference Wednesday evening. “I don’t want to speculate until were able to determine exactly why they were here but I can confirm that upon their arrival, they were shot by a gunman in an ambush.”
A third officer was shot several times while in his vehicle as he responded to the scene to aid the injured officers.
Welsh said the officers returned fire.
Police said the suspect, who is believed to have acted alone, was killed. It’s unclear if he took his own life or was injured by police gunfire.
Two of the officers were taken by life-flight helicopter to MetroHealth Hospital in Cleveland. The other officer was taken to another area hospital.
In a social media post, Fraternal Order of Police National Vice President Joe Gamaldi said two of the officers are in critical condition. The third was shot in the hand is expected to recover, Gamaldi added.
Officials have identified the officers as Peter Gale, 51, Brent Payne, 47, and Phillip Wagner, 35. The name of the suspect has not been released as of Wednesday at 7:40 p.m.
“Any time law enforcement is injured its a difficult day for the law enforcement community,” said Welsh. “We’re gonna do everything we can to support them and conduct a thorough investigation into what happened.”
Elyria Police is the lead investigator of the shooting, with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation assisting.
“This is an ongoing investigation; it will take time to understand what transpired here today. My goal and the officers’ here goal is to investigate and report to the public our findings,” Welsh said.
Police are asking witnesses or anyone with information to contact Elyria Police at 440-323-3302.
