As the officers pursued a passenger, he reportedly turned and opened fire on both the officers.
In Columbus, Ohio, two officers from the Mifflin Township Police Department were shot during a traffic stop on Wednesday evening, as confirmed by Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin. The suspect was apprehended on Friday night.
Reportedly, the officers were conducting the traffic stop at the Mecca Road and Perdue Avenue junction, halting a vehicle around 6:45 p.m. Shortly after engaging with the driver, the passenger, identified as 21-year-old Daveonte Dixon, fled the scene and started running.
During the pursuit of Dixon, he allegedly took out a gun and fired multiple shots at the officers. One officer sustained multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the face, while the other was hit in the right arm, as per documents from Franklin County Municipal Court.
Baldwin said it was “unprovoked.”
One of the officers was discharged from the hospital on Thursday, said Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #9 President Brian Steel. The other officer went into emergency surgery early Thursday morning and is in the intensive care unit after being taken in for another surgery.
Mifflin Township released a statement Thursday saying in part, “We are deeply saddened by the events of last night’s shooting involving our officers. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families as they begin what we hope will be a full and swift recovery.”
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office filed charges against Dixon in connection to the shooting. Dixon was charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of felonious assault in the shooting.
The search for Dixon concluded Friday night after he shot himself and was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
According to Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, the investigation led authorities to an apartment in the 4300 block of Thelma Drive in Obetz.
As deputies were waiting to execute a search warrant, they heard gunshots fired from the apartment, Baldwin said. SWAT officers entered and found Dixon with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
No deputies or law enforcement fired their weapons, according to Baldwin.
The incident remains under investigation by the sheriff’s office and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Steel first told 10TV News that Dixon had shot himself.
In a press conference on Thursday, multiple law enforcement agencies provided an update on the shooting and released new footage from the officers’ body cameras.
Video from the officer who was standing near the passenger door shows the suspect getting out of the vehicle. The officer chases after him.
The suspect is then seen running into a grassy area and falling. The officer gets his gun out quickly, seconds later the officer can be heard yelling out. Multiple gunshots can be heard.
Video from the other officer’s body camera shows him following the suspect and officer who went into the grassy area. The gunshots can be heard, and the officer is seen running with a stun gun away from the shots.
The officer throws his stun gun down and pulls out his gun, saying into his radio, “Shots fired” and “I’m hit.”
Another camera angle shows the suspect standing in the grass appearing to fire his gun for several seconds before taking off.
Shooting under investigation, public urged to remain vigilant
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handling the evidence and crime scene.
Chief Deputy Rick Minerd urged the public to remain vigilant, noting Dixon is still at large and considered armed and dangerous. He was last seen wearing a gray shirt and camouflage pants.
The driver spoke with detectives who identified Dixon. According to court documents, the driver had picked up Dixon and was heading to purchase a watch when he was stopped by police.
Baldwin said the driver was cooperative and is not considered a suspect at this time.
“Our focus right now is on the recovery of our injured officers and bringing the individual responsible to justice. We are asking anyone with information to come forward immediately,” Baldwin said.
Dixon previously charged
Additional records from Franklin County Municipal Court show that Dixon has been previously charged in various incidents dating back to 2022.
RELATED: Sheriff’s office files charges against 21-year-old in Mifflin Twp. shooting that left 2 officers injured
Records from Franklin County Court of Common Pleas state that Dixon pleaded guilty in 2024 to felony charges of aggravated burglary, unlawful possession of a dangerous ordinance and having weapons while under disability. The charges stemmed from an incident in 2023.
As part of a plea agreement, he was put under community control for up to six months.
Several law enforcement agencies are offering up to $40,000 for information regarding the whereabouts of Dixon.
The agencies include the Fraternal Order of Police, Crime Stoppers, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service.
“He’s still out and he’s still a danger to everybody,” Baldwin said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at 614-525-3350 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477 (TIPS).
2 other officers injured in crash while responding to call for help
Two officers with the Columbus Division of Police were also injured in a crash at Weber Road and Cleveland Avenue while responding to the officer in trouble call, according to Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #9 President Brian Steel. Both of those officers are expected to be OK.
