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.
If you're speeding, or driving drunk, his answer would be "no."
My comment was that while our law enforcement is busy enforcing minor traffice laws, like not using turn signals, and seat belt violations, our entire nation is being invaded by millions upon millions of illegal aliens, while our so-called leaders look the other way and stand treasonously silent or actually encourage this titanic invasion.
I find this extremely disturbing. And yes our traffic laws need to be enforced, but one day, we should get our priorities fixed.
The individual that killed the police officer got what he deserved, unfortunately not before he apparently murdered the police officer.
I got to shoot one of those in Kazahkstan. Seemed to handle quite well.
"72 in a 60 mph zone" Joe.
The strange thing is, Matthews had no violations or anything else on his record. He might have been given a warning.
What a senseless waste of human life.
...and sometimes "good citizens" make for bad government.
Really? Article says he is the county coroner, and is about to do autopsies on the two dead men.
Did you mean that Donald Matthews "was" a Freeper?
Then you hadn't read the posts very carefully. One poster declared that a mere traffic stop is a constitutional crisis. Others were speculating on some conspiracy to murder the driver because he was a nuisance to local governments.
The cops in my area are perfectly capable of doing both: arresting violent criminals AND issuing routine traffic citations. They do a fine job. Occasionally they have to put up with crap-mouths such as yourself to get in done. All part of the job.
If you get pulled over in my neck of the woods, I'm rooting for the cops.
How about you become less dang thick headed. This story had NOTHING to do with illegal immigration - and two people are dead - but you have to up and try to make your point about illegal immigration. That is bullsh**.
I have no sympathy for cop killers, but I do pray for the man's widow, and the officer's family. The pain he has caused I'm sure is hard to bear for all of them.
In 16 years of law enforcement, I have never been asked to write tickets solely for revenue. To get my attention on the highway, you had to commit a clearly hazardous violation like blow a red light or go at least 15 to 20 over the limit (unless it was a school zone). But I didn't ignore traffic violations in between felony arrests, either.
The irrational ideologues are not so numerous, just endowed with big mouths.
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