A woman warned officers her ex-boyfriend was bent on killing a police officer shortly before authorities found a Danville police officer fatally shot late Sunday night, according to the Knox County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff's deputies identified the slain officer as Thomas Cottrell. According to the Knox County Sheriff's Office, authorities found Cottrell dead behind the Danville Municipal Building around 11:50 p.m.
Less than 30 minutes earlier, emergency dispatchers had received a call from a woman who claimed police officers in Danville were in danger, sheriff's deputies said.
She told authorities her ex-boyfriend, Herschel Ray Jones, was armed and looking to kill an officer.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol issued a statewide alert overnight after Cottrell and his police cruiser went missing. Authorities found the officer's hat with blood on it, WBNS reported, and later found Cottrell fatally shot.
Around 1:30 a.m., authorities chased Jones from a residence he was fleeing on E. Washington Street. Officers took him into custody near Danville Park, according to the Knox County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities continued to investigate the case Monday morning.
Franklin County Sheriff Chief Deputy Jim Gilbert shared his condolences in a post on Twitter Monday.
"Prayers for Ohio's first fallen officer for 2016," he wrote.
Danville is a village in Knox County, northeast of Columbus. It has a population just over 1,000, according to the 2010 census.
About the Author
