LORAIN — Three officers were shot during an ambush and a suspect is dead in Northeast Ohio on Wednesday.
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Two officers, Phillip Wagner and Brent Payne, were in critical condition. A medical helicopter transported them to a Cleveland-area hospital, Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley told CBS affiliate, WOIO, in Cleveland.
As previously reported by News Center 7, a third officer was also shot.
He has been identified as Peter Gale. He was shot in the hand and was taken to Mercy Hospital, WOIO said.
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Lorain Acting Police Chief Michael Failing said that Officers Wagner and Gale just bought a pizza.
“Officers were parked side by side, having their lunch in their respective patrol vehicles. The suspect had parked at the dead end of Missouri Avenue, and he had an arsenal of weapons with him,” said Failing. “He was lying in wait and opened fire with multiple rounds at both of the officers who were sitting in their vehicles.”
The suspect has been identified as a 28-year-old man, WOIO reports.
Officer Payne responded to the scene, called for more help, and drove to the scene to help. He was shot several times in his patrol car, Failing told WOIO.
Other officers who responded loaded the wounded officers into their cars and took them to the hospital.
“Anytime law-enforcement is injured, it’s a difficult day for the law-enforcement community, and we’re going to do everything we can to support Lorain police and conduct a thorough and successful investigation to determine exactly what happened,” said Failing.
It is currently unknown how the suspect died.
We will continue to follow this story.
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