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.
Wrong, wrong and wrong. From the link in post #125:
Taylor died of a single gunshot from behind, and the bullet matched Matthews' imported gun, said Rick Walters, an investigator with the Stark County coroner's office. The bullet entered from behind and traveled to his chest.
Taylor died of a single gunshot from behind, and the bullet matched Matthews' imported gun, said Rick Walters, an investigator with the Stark County coroner's office. The bullet entered from behind and traveled to his chest.
That this unfortunate FReeper chose to express his frustrations through what is ultimately a suicidal (and homicidal) act does NOT reflect on Free Republic. I'm sure his frustrations were in place long before he encountered this web site, and his decision to forfeit his life was little influenced by his registration here.
Nevertheless, two people are dead in a nightmarish collision between ideals and reality, a conflict that never should have taken place.
Or, as Clarence Thomas once said, don't give them the hammer to hit you with...
Shooting people in the back.. what a classy Constitutionalist.
The officer was probably going into a full retreat rather than go in with his weapon blazing. Next step would be to talk the guy out of his mindset and his weapon. Nobody gets hurt.
The backshooter got what he deserved.
"It was self-defense against self-governance. The JBT pulled me over, and infringed on my inalienable right to speed unmolested."
You're off your gob.
Baloney. Read the posts made by this individual.
Uh, the coroner already said that Taylor died of a gunshot would to the back from Matthew's gun. I think there are sufficient facts here to place the blame on Matthews for the time being, unless something proves otherwise from police videos or eyewitness accounts. So far, the events described are entirely consistent with the rant from Matthews that someone posted here. Given that, I am strongly inclined to believe the official account. I am sure someone will make this into a conspiracy, but they must provide something other than suppositions to get any sane person to buy into such...
And anyone is liable to make an uncharacteristic misjudgment, especially when under pressure--sometines with tragic consequences.
Uh, normally CJ and I are at loggerheads, but he is correct on this topic. The first rule of holes is that, once you find yourself in one, stop digging...
It's your call, oph, but it won't appease those who choose to see Reality distorted through the glasses of their ideology.
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