Ohio deputy is fatally shot responding to a domestic violence call, suspect is wounded

MARENGO, Ohio (AP) — A sheriff’s deputy in Ohio who responded to a domestic violence call at a home was fatally shot by a suspect who was wounded, authorities said.

The Morrow County Sheriff’s office said the shooting occurred Monday night in the town of Marengo, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of Columbus. Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Sheriff John Hinton identified the deputy as Daniel Sherrer, 31, who had served with the department since March 2021.

Sherrer “always had a smile on his face, never in a bad mood,” Hinton said. He noted the death was a tough blow for the department but said everyone came into work Tuesday because “that’s what we have to do, it’s what he would have wanted.”

In a statement posted on the department’s Facebook page, Hinton said Sherrer was shot shortly after he arrived at the home. The deputy and the suspect were both taken to a hospital, where Sherrer was pronounced dead a short time later.

The sheriff said Tuesday he has not yet viewed body camera footage of the shooting, so he could not provide further details about what occurred.

The suspect remains hospitalized in serious condition. On Tuesday, Hinton spoke with disdain for the suspect and refused to publicly identify the person.

“You will never hear his name come from my lips, so if you want the name you will have to get it some other way, I’m not giving it to you,” Hinton told reporters. ”Why would I? He doesn’t deserve it.”

The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office will lead the investigation into the shooting, with assistance from the state’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation.