Suspect in trooper shooting killed near coal city church

Jul. 17—An Ohio man who was on the lam after shooting a West Virginia State Patrol officer earlier in the day was shot and killed Monday night running from a wood line near Sunset Hills Missionary Church on Independence Road near Coal City.

Scott O'Brien was still armed as troopers gave chase, according to a press release from state police. Troppers were able to identify and visually confirm that the fugitive was still armed.

O'Brien refused verbal commands to drop his weapon, "resulting in the use of lethal force," the news release said.

O'Brien was pronounced dead on the scene. The news release did not say how many shots were fired.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were on the hunt for O'Brien after he was reported to have shot and injured a state trooper Monday morning in Raleigh County.

Identified by police as Scott Arthur O'Brien of Hamilton, Ohio, he was pulled over by a state trooper at 9:16 a.m. Monday at the Dollar General in Midway off of exit 42 of I-77.

Six minutes into the stop, O'Brien pulled out a gun and fired a single round at the trooper striking the trooper in the elbow, according to a release from police.

O'Brien then fled in an unknown direction in a white Jeep.

Police recovered the Jeep at around 1:30 p.m. after it had been abandoned by O'Brien in the Coal City Road area.

State police, who are leading the investigation, have not released the name of the trooper who was injured. Various reports indicate the trooper's injuries were not life-threatening, according to Metro News.

While the manhunt was taking place, Independence High School was placed on lockdown.

Raleigh County Superintendent Serena Starcher said students attending summer band camp were on campus starting at around 9 a.m. Monday but were locked inside the band room after the shooting took place.

Starcher said the school's resource officer also showed up at the school shortly after the shooting to stay with students as well as review the school's security camera footage.

By noon, Starcher said all students at Independence High had been picked up and taken home.

Independence Middle School parent Audrey Stanton-Smith said she arrived at Independence High School at around 9:50 a.m. with her 13-year-old son who was attending band camp.

At that time, Stanton-Smith said there were several police vehicles in the school's parking lot, but no one approached them to ask questions or prevent them from going into the school.

"I saw a lot of troopers and I escorted (my son) to the band room and then I went back to the parking lot and spoke with a few other parents who were concerned about the police there," she said.

After waiting in the parking lot for some time, Stanton-Smith said one of the parents went to the band room to see what was going on and was told the school was on lockdown and that students would not be practicing outside.

"They said they wouldn't be practicing outside and the band room was locked, so I felt like they were safe locked inside the band room," Stanton-Smith said.

Even though her child was safe, Stanton-Smith said she wished someone from law enforcement had walked over to parents and let them know what was happening or at least reacted to their presence.

"(The police) were kind of on the other end of the parking lot and it was obvious they were doing their job. . . and I think (the parents) weren't comfortable approaching them but it would have been really nice if someone had approached the parents," she said. "I don't blame anyone, and the band director did a great job of keeping everyone safely inside the building."

Starcher said no one was at Independence Middle School when the nearby shooting took place.

Students attending summer camp at Coal City Elementary School were also impacted by the shooting though students were away on a field trip in Beckley at the time.

Starcher said other arrangements had to be made to get students picked up in Beckley as returning to Coal City Elementary Monday morning was not an option. She added that if the suspect is not apprehended by 7 p.m. Monday, camp at Coal City Elementary will be canceled for Tuesday.

Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call West Virginia State Police Beckley Detachment at (304) 256-6700.

Email: jmoore@register-herald.com