Girard man shot by officers died from multiple gunshots, death ruled homicide
The Trumbull County Coroner has ruled the shooting death of a Girard man by law enforcement officers was a homicide. Whether or not that shooting was justified has yet to be determined.
According to a death certificate, 50-year-old Fred Wild III died from multiple gunshot wounds on March 21. The certificate does not state how many times Wild was wounded.
According to state investigators, wild was shot by officers after he allegedly drove a pickup truck toward them in Brookfield.
The Ohio Attorney General's office says findings from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation will be turned over to Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins once they complete their investigation into the shooting.
Depending on what is in the findings, prosecutor Watkins would have the option of finding no wrongdoing and declining to pursue charges; presenting a case to a grand jury; or asking for the appointment of a special prosecutor to decide if the case will go before a grand jury.
According to a joint news release issued shortly after the shooting, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Lordstown Village Police Department, Vienna Township Police Department, and Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to an address on State Route 7 in Brookfield just after 1 a.m. in response to a 9-1-1 call reporting that a “dangerous suspect” was trespassing in a cabin on the private property.
Authorities say they recognized the man as Fred Wild III, who was allegedly involved in prior fleeing and eluding incidents the day before in Trumbull County.
Wild jumped from the cabin window and then got into a stolen pickup truck equipped with a snow plow, according to authorities.
Officers say that after failing to obey police orders, Wild charged at them in the truck.
That’s when several officers fired on Wild. A rescue squad was dispatched, but Wild died. No officers were injured.
The officers involved in the shooting have not been identified.
It was nearly nine years ago in April 2014 when authorities say Wild was driving under the influence when his truck crashed into a home in Niles. Wild was convicted of DUI and fined $400.