The 21-year-old man officials say shot two Mifflin Township police officers during a traffic stop on Wednesday evening is still at large.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office said at a Thursday afternoon press conference that law enforcement at the state, local and national levels are searching for the suspect, who has been identified as Daveonte Dixon. Officers from the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service are participating in the search.
Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information on Dixon's location. He is charged with attempted murder and felonious assault.
Mifflin Township Police Chief David Briggs said at the press conference one of the unnamed officers has been discharged. The other officer has undergone two surgeries.
The Mifflin Township Police Department currently has five officers, including the two who were shot. Briggs said the office is like a family and the two officers' absences as they recover will be felt in the small department.
"We're already understaffed. Losing two officers takes out 40% of my officers. I have to lean heavily on the sheriff's office," Briggs said.
Franklin County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Rick Minerd showed reporters brief video of the traffic stop in the residential area near the intersection of Mecca Road and Perdue Avenue, where a man he identified as Dixon exited a vehicle and ran. The man fell down while running away before getting up and firing at the officers before fleeing.
One of the two officers collapsed onto the ground as shots continued to ring out. The second officer was also shot, but was able to radio in for assistance.
Minerd said Dixon is a threat to the public and urges anyone with information about his location to turn him in. He said with the help of all the different agencies, authorities will make every effort to catch Dixon.
"(Police are) all in in terms of apprehending this individual. And so there's no rock that you're gonna hide under Mr. Dixon. We got eyes and ears out there. And so we're gonna bring him to justice," Minerd said.
Minerd held up a sign created to announce the reward for information on Dixon, saying it may help law enforcement get more tips.
"Not only can we get a bad guy off the streets, but you know what, you make a little money doing it, too. So we ask people to call in. Let's get this bum off the street here," Minerd said.
Officials at the press conference did not say why the traffic stop occurred. The video officials played started right as the second officer approached the vehicle and Dixon began to flee the scene.
"As you can imagine, these officers are injured, and so they're not really in a position to answer a lot of detailed questions. And so we wouldn't wanna interview them while... one under sedation and the other one having medical care," Minerd said.
Minerd called it a "regular traffic stop that escalated pretty quickly." He said the officers pulled over the vehicle around 6:45 p.m. and shots were fired at 6:49 p.m.
Police said contraband was found inside the vehicle, but didn't specify what it was. Authorities also didn't say how many shots were fired or if the officers fired their weapons at Dixon.
Minerd also said the gun Dixon used was recovered at the scene, but Dixon may have other guns.
"It's not hard to get a gun on the street. He's got a lengthy criminal record that's been disclosed here today. And so although laws may prohibit him, these guns...they buy them off the street, off their friends or whatever," Minerd said.
Dixon previously pleaded guilty last year in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas to aggravated burglary, possession of a firearm under disability and possessing a dangerous ordinance.
Franklin County prosecutors and Dixon's defense team agreed to a sentence of community control and fines rather than a prison sentence. That incident wasn't Dixon's first offense with a firearm. He pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon in 2022, only three months before it became legal to carry a concealed weapon without a permit in Ohio.
Minerd expressed doubt that Dixon escaped on his own and said they may charge anyone who helped Dixon evade more than 100 police officers who responded to the scene from several different police departments.
Minerd also said the driver of the vehicle, who has not been identified or charged with a crime, has been cooperative with police. He explained that the driver and Dixon knew each other.
On Wednesday, there was also a procession for 31-year-old Daniel Sherrer, the Morrow County Sheriff's deputy who was shot and killed on Memorial Day. Visitation is scheduled for Tuesday and funeral services are scheduled for Wednesday. Both will take place at Northmor High School in Galion.
Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin was asked about the large response to the scene of the Mifflin Township shooting.
"It is a difficult time because of having that murder occur in Morrow County. Everyone's cautious. And now this happens. Today it's really on your mind," Baldwin said.
The livestream of the press conference can be viewed on the Franklin County Sheriff's Facebook page.
