By Mike Stunson
The Bradenton Herald
ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A 4-year-old girl died after being struck by a stray bullet during a shootout involving police, Ohio authorities say.
The incident began just after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, when officers in St. Clair Township responded to a report about a possible suicidal man, police said. Within moments, the man opened fire on the officers.
Officers returned fire, striking and killing the 30-year-old armed suspect, according to the St. Clair Township Police Department. But an officer and 4-year-old girl were also struck during the exchanging of gunfire.
Police said Detective Dakota Wetzel was shot in the head, and he was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital in critical condition. In a Thursday morning update, police said he was upgraded to stable condition.
“Detective Wetzel was able to open his eyes and give family members a thumbs up overnight,” police said. “He remains in intensive care at the hospital but we are optimistic.”
The 4-year-old girl, however, did not survive her injuries, the department said. She was shot when a bullet came through a neighboring business, which WTAE and WEWS reported was a dentist office, and she died after being taken to a separate hospital.
Police identified the girl as Rosalie Martin. She was shot in the head, her grandmother said in a Facebook post.
“This tragedy has left this family in shambles,” loved ones said in a GoFundMe.
St. Clair Township is in Columbiana County, about a 45-mile drive northwest from Pittsburgh.
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