By Joanna Putman
Police1
ONTARIO, Ohio — Body camera footage released by the Ontario Police Department shows the moment an officer and a hostage were shot during a standoff, WBNS reported.
Officers responded to a call on Feb. 12 that Jareth Vance, 32, had violated a protection order, according to the report. The 911 caller told police that the suspect was armed.
When officers arrived at the scene, Vance confronted them while holding a woman hostage at gunpoint. Video shows other people, including crying children, pouring out of the home. Officers can be heard instructing the group of people to go to a neighbor’s house and commanding Vance to drop the weapon.
Vance appeared to be struggling with the hostage as she tried to escape his custody. As officers continued to yell at Vance to drop the weapon, several shots can be heard. The woman and Officer Dylan Bailey were wounded by Vance’s gunshots.
Vance then barricaded himself inside the apartment where he held a 16-year-old hostage, according to the report. Hostage negotiators and other agencies soon arrived at the scene. After around four hours, Vance surrendered. The 16-year-old was unharmed.
Both Bailey and the woman injured by gunfire were taken to the hospital in stable condition and are expected to survive, according to the report. Vance is facing an attempted aggravated murder charge.
“This is one of those calls that you train for, but you can never prepare for all of the other people who are there. This was a situation where you have people that are coming out - we couldn’t get some of the people to move,” Ontario Police Chief Tommy Hill stated in a news conference. “When I watch this [body camera footage], my heart just sank. This is the worst situation you never want your officers to be involved in.”