Posted on 12/16/2013 9:59:43 PM PST by heartwood
A Ross County deputy sheriff has been placed on leave after authorities say he accidentally shot and killed a woman before a drug raid on Wednesday.
Sgt. Brett McKnight was identified yesterday as the deputy whose gun went off outside a trailer that members of a drug task force were about to raid as part of a heroin bust. The bullet went through the exterior of the trailer before it struck and killed 35-year-old Krystal Barrows, according to a news release.
In the release, Ross County Sheriff George Lavender’s office said that members of the U.S. 23 Task Force were executing a search warrant about 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday at a trailer at 467 Rt. 23 S. near Chillicothe. The release said they expected to find large amounts of heroin, several weapons and a guard holding an assault rifle at the front door.
When task-force agents entered the trailer, they found Barrows sitting on the living-room couch “ in critical condition” with a bullet wound to her head. She died a short time later at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, where she was flown by helicopter.
A sheriff’s office news release said a man was armed with a handgun and deputies found pistols and assault rifles in the house, but it makes no mention of whether anyone in the trailer had threatened deputies with a gun or fired a gun.
Investigators with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation determined that the shot that killed Barrows came from McKnight’s weapon. McKnight has been with the sheriff’s office for 11 years, according to the release.
Yesterday, the sheriff’s office refused to give any more details of the incident beyond what was provided in two news releases.
Six people were arrested, largely on outstanding warrants, during the raid. Deputies reported recovering a large amount of suspected heroin, large amounts of cash and suspected stolen property.
The Dispatch requested the sheriff’s office incident report on the raid and shooting, but it was not released. In public-records rulings, the Ohio Supreme Court has stated that police incident reports must be released immediately.
Barrows was the mother of three sons ages 9, 14 and 19. She had no criminal record in Ross County except for a misdemeanor conviction for disorderly conduct by intoxication. Her family members declined to comment yesterday.
The thug, having meant to be holding the gun, having meant it to be pointed at the trailer and having meant to have his finger on the trigger, meant the consequences of such actions.
Manslaughter.
Well,, at least this drug raid brought the family together,,
albeit at a funeral.
This should remind folks how precious and fragile life is..
and who the ‘winners’ and real losers in the WoD are.
3 kids, no Mom, no mo’.
Maybe the highly trained officer was cleaning his gun at the time. Yeah...that’s the ticket!
Let me guess: The “internal investigation” will clear the deputy, and the victim’s buddies will be charged with felony murder.
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