Massillon Patrol Officer
Eric Taylor
Posted on 08/10/2002 6:07:37 AM PDT by ResistorSister
MASSILLON (OHIO) -- A city police officer and a man he was chasing are dead, killed in a shootout at the old Agathon ballfield Friday night.
Killed were Eric Taylor, 31, a four-year veteran of the Police Department, and a still unidentified suspect.
“This is a major tragedy for our city,” said Mayor Francis Cicchinelli, who announced Taylor’s death at Massillon Community Hospital at about 11:45 p.m.
Taylor was married, with three young children.
Investigators from the Ohio Highway Patrol, Massillon Police Department and Stark County coroner’s office remained at the scene past midnight, as did the body of the suspect, a balding, white man who was driving a four-door Ford sedan with Stark County license plates. His body was covered with one sheet, another blocked the view of the more than 100 bystanders who gathered near First Street and Cherry Road NW.
The trouble began shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Route 21 and Edwards Road in Wayne County near Doylestown, according to Lt. Herb Homan, commander of the Wooster Post of the Highway Patrol.
One of his troopers had stopped the southbound Ford on Route 21 at 8:22 p.m. for speeding. The trooper talked with the driver, there was a confrontation and five minutes later, the trooper reported the car was fleeing. He chased it south, and Massillon police got involved.
The chase ended in Massillon east of Route 21, in the ballfield just south of Cherry Road.
Lt. Gary Lewis of the Highway Patrol said the man got out of his car with a high-powered semiautomatic weapon, and that he fired first at officers. At least three Massillon officers and a trooper were involved in the gunfire. He said they don’t know which officer fired the shot that killed the suspect nor do they know which shot killed Taylor.
Scott McElfresh said he was watching television in his home on Cherry Road, northeast of the scene, when he heard shots. He looked out his window and saw flashes from gunfire.
He estimated he heard four shots and then an additional 30 to 40 shots, and that he saw flashes indicating police were returning fire.
“It’s not something you expect to happen in Massillon,” he said.
Other witnesses said they heard 10 to 12 shots.
“We didn’t know if it was fireworks or gunshots,” said Dave Hodgson, who was with friends about a block to the north.
Stark County Coroner James Pritchard said the suspect died of gunshot wounds, but he won’t know how many until he does an autopsy on the man today. He’ll also do an autopsy on Taylor.
Taylor was rushed from the scene to Massillon Community moments after the shooting.
The suspect’s body remained on the corner of a field off of First Street and Cherry Road until after midnight. Police said they had not verified the man’s identification, and they wouldn’t release his name until family was notified.
Through the early morning, Taylor’s cruiser and the suspect’s car remained in the middle of the field on which The Arena is being built.
The Highway Patrol and Massillon police are sharing the investigation.
They used 44 red cups to mark shell casings and other pieces of evidence on First Street. Bright lights illuminated the scene, showing the back window of a Massillon cruiser was shattered, and glass was scattered across the street.
A helicopter from Columbus was brought in to map the crime scene.
A handful of officers not involved in the investigation showed up at the scene, some in uniform and some in street clothes, somber and stone faced. Family of other officers showed up, patted a couple of officers on the back, shook their hands and hugged them.
A police chaplain met with the family at Massillon Community.
A red tent for officers was pitched in the yard of the Massillon Recreation Center, across the street from the crime scene.
This once sentence blows YOUR credibility to hell. If the patrol cars passed you by, it's obviously because they were on other business besides traffic control. I know literally dozens of people in town that have been nailed by the OHP for their infamous speed traps.
Ummmm......How?? When I had the foresight to save the thread it was at about post #27.
Perhaps I read a response referencing the original that contained the word "not". If so then I am wrong.
Stay safe; stay armed.
One mph over the speed limit would NOT stand up in court.
If you want to hyperbolize, you might want to make your numbers a little more believeable.
I am pretty sure I understand your thoughts. However there is a time when any person needs to understand who has the upper hand at that time. The article says the guy got out of his car firing the gun.
Lt. Gary Lewis of the Highway Patrol said the man got out of his car with a high-powered semiautomatic weapon, and that he fired first at officers.
There is no way in this world that I can justify this.
I hope that's a compliment! 
Amen, Dan. Amen.
At least black people aren't afraid to suggest something like that when it comes to someone like Rodney King. Could things have been handled better by the side that should keep it's cool? A better outcome for both?
That's really an issue of concern to the good citizens of Ohio rather than to their busy-body neighbors.
Interesting. Usually the inane libertarians are the first ones to insist that our entire transportation infrastructure be privatized. "Toll booths Uber Alles!"
Actually, that's the post I was responding to when the thread got yanked. I was trying to tell whoever posted it that he was getting a bit too paranoid about the whole thing. I don't think about his post really leaned towards the "it was okay to shoot the cop" opinion though, IMHO.
And they probably would have thought that the guy was a bit daffy, and that society is better off by his thinning of his particular branch of the gene pool. Even if that does suck for his wife and kids.
On the pulled thread, since it was posted by a friend of the suspect, I merely gave my condolences. But this guy sounds like some piece of work, and I doubt that he and I agreed on very much other than that the federal government has extended its reach too far.
Why don't you hire Shirley MacLaine to do a seance and you can ask them. If you give her enough money she will probably give you the answer you are looking for.
Anyway all kidding aside, I highly doubt that the Founding Fathers, if alive today, would condone such a senseless act, JMO.
BTW, you were the first one to bring out the text book Libertarian defense of that the Founding Fathers would condone such an act.
Rule 23 in the Libertarian handbook,
When in trouble in losing an arguement bring up the Founding Fathers. Hey they are dead and can't speak for themselves. We(Libertarians) might as well do the talking.
There is a really good way to keep it cool. Show your driver's license to the cop. Be polite. If you have an issue with what the cop has determined, you get your day in court, and, from what I have seen in life, if you care enough to show up to contest the ticket, you've got a really good chance to get it thrown out. That is the rule of law. The rule of law is NOT, NOT, NOT served by driving away from a routine traffic stop because you think the states have no right to enforce traffic laws, the 10th Amendment be damned, and then precipitate a gunfight that leaves a cop dead. That is not the rule of law. That is anarchy, in its most perverted form, trying to wrap the Constitution around it shoulders. All that accomplished is that the Constitution get soiled in the attempt.
Oh, it's so nice to learn, after two years as an active poster here, commenting on the actions of other state governments here - JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES - that I'm only allowed to discuss things that happen in MY state.
JimRob, please start cancelling most Freepers' accounts right now! None of us appear to be worthy!
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