In what authorities are describing as an ambush, three police officers were shot on Wednesday in Northern Ohio.
About 1 p.m. local time, a suspect started firing at two cops who had just purchased lunch and were sharing it while parked in their individual patrol cars at the end of River Bend Drive in the city of Lorain.
The cops, Phillip Wagner and Peter Gale, were taken to MetroHealth in critical condition following several gunshot wounds, according to Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley.
A third cop arrived at the site after the officers asked for backup, but he was also shot inside his car. According to officials, Officer Brent Payne was taken to Mercy Health with a gunshot wound to his hand that was not thought to be life-threatening.
“The suspect parked at the dead end of Missouri Avenue, and he had an arsenal of weapons with him,” stated acting Lorain Police Chief Michael Failing at a press conference. And while he was waiting, he fired several shots at the two officers who were seated in their cars.
Jeff Welsh, the chief of police in Elyria, stated that the suspect used a powerful weapon during the incident.
Failing attested to the fact that the guy was shot back by the officers and was eventually dead.
The suspect was found to be Lorain resident Michael Parker, 28, according to the Lorain Coroner’s Office. Authorities think he did it by himself.
According to Mayor Bradley, the community is not currently in danger.
“We are a resilient city, despite this tragic day in the City of Lorain,” Bradley remarked.
“This was an ambush scenario, according to law enforcement. During the press conference, Welsh reiterated that it is a challenging day for the Lorain Police Department.
Failing praised responding officers like Payne, who was wounded in the hand for risking his life to assist Wagner and Gail, but he also added that the entire department is feeling the effects of this terrible incident.
Many of the people standing behind me answered this appeal. I want to express my gratitude to them for their courage. “The outstanding reaction to this tragedy,” Failing stated.
The community is urged by Failing to remember the Lorain Police Department in their prayers.
Maya Morita, Catherine Ross, and Joe Donatelli of the Cleveland-based Scripps News Group were the first to publish this story.
