ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP. Ohio. — Newly released body camera footage shows a fatal shooting where both a suspect and a 4-year-old girl were killed, WFMJ reported.
Video from the Jan. 22 incident shows Officer Dakota Wetzel exiting a patrol vehicle and moving toward a man walking in the road. The man was reported to be suicidal, according to the report. He called out to the suspect, instructing him to stop and show his hands.
The video shows the man turning toward Wetzel with his right hand partially obscured. As he moved his hand outward, Wetzel fired, striking the suspect. The suspect then raised his right arm toward the officer, and additional shots can be heard.
In the exchange, a bullet fatally struck 4-year-old Rosalie Martin inside a nearby dentist’s office, according to the report. It remains unclear who fired the shot that killed her, as not all angles of the incident are visible in the footage.
Wetzel and the suspect both fell to the ground after the shooting, video shows. Additional footage from Officer Chase Askounes’ body camera captures the immediate aftermath, showing officers calling for medical assistance as they secured the scene.
The suspect was pronounced dead hours later, and Wetzel, who was shot in the head, remains in a rehabilitation hospital following surgery, according to the report.
St. Clair Township Police Chief Brian McKenzie addressed the public in a video statement, emphasizing transparency while noting that the full details of the incident remain under investigation.
“These body camera videos show tragedy on many levels,” McKenzie said. “…No police officer wants to be forced to use deadly force; however, officers who are faced with a suspect ready to use deadly force must make split-second decisions to protect their own lives.”
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting, according to the report.
