NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — A 27-year-old man -- identified as Thomas Nock of Elyria -- has died after he was shot while allegedly exchanging gunfire with police in North Olmsted.
Meanwhile, North Olmsted police say another man was found dead inside a home that was deliberately set afire. Two separate investigations are now underway.
North Olmsted police officials say it was around 1:39 a.m. Saturday when a woman called dispatch stating that a man approached her and said someone was trying to kill his uncle. The female told police that the male had blood on him and directed the officers to 28000 block of Alden Drive.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers heard what they thought was a gunshot and saw that the house was on fire. A man was seen exiting the front door of the house and started running west through the backyards of Alden Drive. Officers from Westlake and North Olmsted ordered the suspect to stop multiple times.
Police say Nock got stuck in some bushes in a rear yard on Berkshire Drive and then began firing at a North Olmsted officer, striking him twice. The officer was hit once in the arm and also to the chest. North Olmsted police officials say the officer's ballistic vest stopped the shot to his chest and he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The officer, who has been employed with North Olmsted police since Aug. 17, 2021, has since been released from St. John Westshore Hospital and is recovering at home.
Body camera video from the incident:
A Westlake police officer and a North Olmsted officer returned fire and struck Nock several times. Nock was taken to Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital. According to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office, he died shortly after midnight Sunday.
The investigation into the shooting will be conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. "We have the utmost confidence that they have the resources involved to come to a conclusion on this," said North Olmsted Police Chief Bob Wagner on Monday.
Police officials also say that the residence on Alden Drive was fully engulfed in flames and that several fire departments responded for mutual aid. Once the fire was put out and the house was safe to enter, a man was found dead inside the structure. He was later identified as 52-year-old Christopher Torrisi of North Olmsted. Torrisi was found with at least one gunshot wound and his exact cause of death will be determined by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office.
The house fire is being investigated as arson by the State Fire Marshal's Office. North Olmsted officials say the house will be torn down soon. Torrisi's death will be investigated by North Olmsted police.
Additionally, the man who approached the initial female caller was later located and also transported to the hospital with unknown injuries. Police are not identifying him at this time.
No other suspects are believed to be involved in the incident.
North Olmsted city and police officials held a briefing on Monday afternoon. You can watch in the player below:
"They were shooting in the back yard in the side of my house, the officers and the suspect they were back and forth," neighbor Rita said.
That's how neighbor Rita woke up, and she'll never forget what she saw on her front lawn as she was looking for the source of the sound, an officer down.
"He was on my lawn on the ground and there was two other people with him, and I called 911," Rita said.
Levi lives right next door to the house that caught fire.
"I started hearing some crackling and glass breaking so I'm like 'oh my god, I'm going to look out the window right now' and I see this entire section, I see fire coming out, they had sliding glass doors, and they had fire coming up the sliding glass doors and I'm like 'oh my gosh my neighbor's house is on fire,'" Levi said.
North Olmsted Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones released the following statement regarding the incident:
"On behalf of the residents of North Olmsted, I want to thank all of our first responders for their bravery and heroism in responding to the events early this morning on Alden Drive. Our community is deeply saddened by what transpired this morning. I am grateful to hear that the officer involved in the shooting suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is back home with his family at this time. I also want to thank all of our surrounding communities - -Westlake, Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Ridgeville and Olmsted Township -- along with all state agencies who responded.
"Unfortunately, we have seen across our region, state and country these types of crimes can happen anywhere. Speaking with officers on the scene this morning, I received confirmation this was an isolated incident and the fire was controlled. We are issuing an emergency order to demolish the house once the crime scene is cleared and all evidence has been collected.
"The investigation is ongoing at this time, and our City will continue to assist the State Fire Marshall’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which are leading the investigation."
The State Fire Marshall and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation responded to the scene for investigation.
