Lieutenant: Mineral City shooting shows potential danger of domestic violence incidents
Wednesday's fatal shooting of a Mineral City man demonstrates the potential volatility of domestic violence incidents, according to Detective Lt. Adam G. Fisher of the Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies shot Everett M. Martin, 43, after he fired a handgun at them Wednesday morning outside a home in Mineral City, according to Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis L. Campbell.
The sheriff said the confrontation happened after deputies were called at 9:25 a.m. to a home on East Third Street by a woman who said a man was at her home in violation of a protection order.
"Domestic violence-related issues, in general, are some of the most dangerous types of calls that law enforcement can encounter," Fisher said. "Oftentimes, we are responding to individuals' homes, which they are very familiar with, and we are not. Obviously, emotions are high and can escalate very quickly in relationships that are in turmoil, or that are ending. Those create all kinds of hazards for us."
911 call to help
The victim in Wednesday's incident told a 911 dispatcher that she was hiding in a bedroom with the blinds closed. She called to report that her ex-boyfriend's truck was outside her home at 9:25 a.m.
In response to a question from the dispatcher, the resident said she did not know how long he had been there.
"He knocked on my door, but I was afraid to look out the window. I don't know what he's doing out there," the resident told the dispatcher at the sheriff's communications center.
After the dispatcher said she was sending a deputy, the caller said, "I don't have to go outside, do I?"
Deputies arrived at 9:33 a.m. and found Martin inside the property's fence, according to Campbell. He said deputies tried to calm him as he indicated he had a knife. Martin also indicated that he intended to die that day in the yard, and tried to flee and go into the house where the woman was hiding, according to the sheriff's account.
Campbell said a deputy initially shot a non-lethal beanbag round at Martin, who then turned toward deputies and shot at them. Deputies returned fire, Campbell said. Martin was dead at the scene. Shots were fired 23 minutes after the first deputies arrived, according to the sheriff.
The woman at the home declined to comment when reached Thursday.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is reviewing the shooting. Fisher said it completed the on-scene part of the investigation Wednesday, interviewing neighbors, making measurements, taking photographs and collecting evidence.
What's next for the investigation?
BCI agents are expected to interview the deputies involved within the next two weeks, Fisher said. Both deputies who fired shots are on paid administrative leave, giving them time to decompress, he said.
Completion of the BCI report could take months, he said. Afterward, it will go to County Prosecutor Ryan Styer.
"I think that our deputies acted in a professional and appropriate manner when responding to this call," Fisher said.
He said victims of domestic violence need to be reassured that it is not OK for violence of any sort to take place within a relationship. He said they should always reach out to law enforcement or victims advocates' in the times of need, if they have any questions, or if they need assistance taking their case in any particular direction.
Wednesday's confrontation followed a Sept. 18 incident, involving the same two people, in which threats were reported and a protection order was issued through New Philadelphia Municipal Court.
"So it definitely appears that the victim in this particular case was doing everything that she could do at the appropriate times to protect herself," Fisher said.
These local resources are available for domestic violence victims by phone:
SpringVale Health Centers 24/7 Crisis Hotline: Tuscarawas County 330-343-1811, Carroll County, 330-627-5240.
OhioGuidestone domestic violence hotline: 330-364-1374.
COMPASS Rape Crisis Center 24-hour crisis lines: Tuscarawas and Carroll counties, 330-339-1427, Stark County, 330-452-1111. National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-4673.
Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com.
On Twitter: @nmolnarTR
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Sheriff: Mineral City shooting man shows domestic violence potential
