TOLEDO, Ohio — A Toledo police officer has died after being shot and killed during a standoff Monday night.
Officer Brandon Stalker, 24, was shot once by a gunman who barricaded himself inside a home and later died from his injuries, police said.
It started just before 4:00 p.m. Monday when officers from the Toledo Police Gang Task Force spotted a man wanted for arson and vandalism at Rosary Cathedral earlier in the day.
The suspect fled from officers into a house in the 2200 block of Fulton Street.
After two hours of attempted negotiations, the Toledo Police SWAT team deployed chemical agents into the house in an attempt to have the suspect exit the home and surrender.
The suspect, later identified as Christopher Harris, 27, emerged from the house with a firearm in both hands and fired shots in multiple directions.
Stalker, who was stationed on the perimeter of the scene to keep residents out, was struck in the head by a bullet. He was transported to Mercy St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
“The entire Toledo Police family is in shock. Another hero has paid the ultimate sacrifice protecting the residents of Toledo. Our hearts are heavy tonight,” said Toledo Police Chief George Kral in a statement.
Stalker joined the department in July 2018 and was classmates with Officer Anthony Dia, who was killed in the line of duty on July 4, 2020.
Harris, who was shot by police officers on scene, was transported to a nearby hospital where he died.
The department said while the investigation is still ongoing, it has been confirmed that multiple officers fired their weapons at Harris. All officers have been placed on paid administrative, per collective bargaining agreements.
Stalker is the 32nd Toledo police officer killed in the line of duty.
The Toledo Police Department said information including funeral arrangements will be made as soon as possible. Kral will hold a news conference on Wednesday at a time to be determined, the department said on Facebook.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost released the following statement regarding the death of Stalker:
“A man of valor and honor was killed, but valor and honor live on in his tens of thousands of partners across Ohio.
Most of us live in peace and safety because people like Officer Stalker spend their working day at risk of violence.
My heart breaks for the family he left behind, and for his brother and sister officers.”
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