NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio — Police officials in North Ridgeville provided more information Thursday about the fatal shooting of a suspect by officers in a case that is now being reviewed by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
The suspect who was fatally shot by police has been identified as 41-year-old Jason Norris, who was wanted for his involvement in the death of his girlfriend in White County, Tennessee.
According to North Ridgeville Police Chief Mike Freeman, at approximately 6:21 p.m., the department was notified by the White County Sheriff's Office that a Flock camera had hit on a vehicle of interest associated with Norris. The vehicle, a Jeep Compass SUV with a Tennessee license plate, belonged to Norris' girlfriend.
Freeman added that the Flock hits happened during a roughly 10-minute period between 6:02 p.m. and 6:14 p.m. while the Jeep was on State Route 83, then on Center Ridge Road at Lear Nagle Road.
How police found Norris
After the call from Tennessee came in, North Ridgeville police officers began "saturating" the area near where the hits were reported.
"We were checking areas that might have a connection and one of the officers saw that Jeep in the driveway and then we just had everybody go to that area," said North Ridgeville Police Lt. Anthony Lee. "Every one of us knows that address. That's just how often we've been there."
The house in the 4800 block of James Road belonged to Norris' grandmother Ethel. Lee said the residence has been a "problem house" for police over the years, with calls for domestic disputes, custody disputes, and noise complaints.
Lee said police knew Ethel had Tennessee connections and had visited family there last year. Now that a law enforcement agency from that state was calling, officers were able to connect the dots.
The shooting
As police were moving in to surround the house and create a perimeter, Freeman said Norris and his cousin came out the front door and were heading towards the Jeep.
"Officers gave commands and there was an exchange of gunfire," Freeman told the media on Thursday. "He (Norris) produced a weapon, shot at officers, officers returned fire."
Freeman said Norris was struck in the upper torso from one of the two shots fired by police. Norris was treated by officers at the scene, then taken to UH St. John Medical Center in Westlake where he was pronounced dead.
No officers were hurt in the exchange of fire. Freeman says the two officers who were involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave for the next three days, per department policy.
"The officers acted very professional," Freeman added. "I'm very proud of my guys, where there was great restraint shown -- where two shots were taken, suspect went down."
Police officials are not releasing the names of the two officers involved in the shooting, but Freeman said both are on the department's tactical team and also serve as shift officers.
“Everybody who goes through something like this has a different perspective on how they deal with it. Some deal with it better than others, but it comes back to the individual. And that's why I think the administrative leave is important, where they can just come to their own thoughts, their own conclusions, but we're here to support them," Freeman added.
Freeman told reporters that BCI members were at the residence until around midnight collecting evidence.
The aftermath
3News reached out to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations for more about the homicide in White County. We received the below statement:
"At the request of 13th Judicial District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway, TBI Special Agents are working with the White County Sheriff’s Office and the DAG’s office in investigating a homicide in White County, after a female’s body was found in a vehicle Wednesday on Red Road in Sparta. The victim has been identified as Megan Perry (DOB 12/05/1992) of Sparta. The investigation remains active and ongoing at this time."
Lee and Freeman said it did not appear that Norris' grandmother and cousin had known about the killing in Tennessee.
"The only thing the suspect told them is he got in a fight with his girlfriend down in Tennessee and he just needed to get away for some time," Freeman explained. "I think they just gave him a place to stay based upon the excuse he used for being up in Ohio."
A family member of Norris' victim, Megan Campbell, spoke with 3News. They said she was 31. Megan leaves behind 3 kids--Kadee 14, Chevy 11, and Caitlin, 6. Her family is asking for help to support her kids, if anyone would like to donate they are taking donations through Cashapp at this time, through Megan's mother, Phyllis. $PhyllisBrown7.
You can watch Thursday's entire briefing in the player below.
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