By Cliff Pinckard
Advance Ohio Media
NEW CARLISLE, Ohio — A newspaper photographer was shot by a deputy Sunday night after the deputy mistook the man’s camera for a weapon, reports say.
The New Carlisle News reports its photographer, Andy Grimm, was taken to Miami Valley Hospital for surgery and is expected to recover from his wound.
Grimm had his camera and a tripod and was outside at about 10 p.m. Sunday attempting to take photos of lightning during a storm, the News reports.
Clark County Deputy Jake Shaw reportedly was on a traffic stop that didn’t involve Grimm when he saw the photographer with the tripod and camera and mistook it for a weapon. Shaw then fired at Grimm, the News reports.
“I was going out to take pictures and I saw the traffic stop and I thought, ‘Hey, cool. I’ll get some pictures here,’” Grimm tells the News. “I turned around toward the cars and then ‘pop, pop.’”
Grimm tells the News he was in full view of Shaw and that the deputy gave him no warning before firing. However, he said he knows Shaw and that he hopes the deputy will not lose his job over the incident.
The newspaper also used its Facebook page to urge that people not criticize the deputy.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is looking into the shooting, the News reports. Clark County is located in southwest Ohio near Dayton.
———
©2017 Advance Ohio Media, Cleveland