A backyard can act as a bubble against the rest of the world, existing within the outside world but shielded from it as an extension of a person’s home. For one Ohio homeowner, that changed quickly and frighteningly when helicopters began circling overhead, and armed officers started crossing his property.
Tim Damschroder, a lifelong resident of Gibsonburg, Ohio, told 13abc that a six-hour manhunt unfolded right near his West Linden Avenue home Wednesday after a local police officer was stabbed.
13abc reports that police identified the suspect as 25-year-old Scott Dodd Jr. Residents were told to stay inside while officers searched the area. Several nearby schools even went into lockdown.
“I locked my doors. I closed my garage door,” recalled Damschroder, as reported by 13abc. “I typically don’t do that. I came out and made sure that my camper and backyard shed are locked, which is something I typically don’t do.” Then he looked outside and saw officers walking across his yard with their guns drawn.
The Search Occurred Up Close and Personal
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13abc writes that, as part of the manhunt, airplanes and a helicopter circled over the area.
For some, such as Damschroder, the search encroached even closer to home. Damschroder said he looked through a window and saw officers with guns drawn walking across his yard.
The search ended Wednesday afternoon when officers took the suspect into custody.
Gibsonburg Police Chief Don Karr said the suspect’s injuries were consistent with having been shot in the cheek, consistent with an earlier encounter with law enforcement. As of Thursday, Aug. 27, the suspect had been released from the hospital and was being held in the Sandusky County jail ahead of a Friday court appearance, 13abc reports.
A Bank Call Turned Into a Six-Hour Search
Gibsonburg Police Officer Maria Kisha had responded to a trespassing call at Union Bank on West Madison Street shortly before 9:30 a.m., according to a police statement cited by 13abc.
Police say Kisha was trying to remove the suspect from the bank when he stabbed her in the neck. Kisha fired at him before he ran into nearby woods.
Kisha suffered serious injuries and underwent surgery at a Level 1 trauma center in Toledo. She was reported in stable condition Wednesday afternoon, according to 13abc.
A search ensued, involving officers from over a dozen agencies, plus aircraft support tasked with searching wooded areas from above. The response included the Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and other local, state, and federal agencies, Spectrum News 1 writes.