A corrections officer was killed during a training exercise this week, Ohio officials said.
Lt. Rodney Osborne of the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility was shot and killed during a training exercise on April 9, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director Annette Chambers-Smith told McClatchy News in a statement April 10.
Osborne was shot at the Corrections Training Academy tactical firing range, according to the department.
“This appears to have been a tragic accident, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating,” Chambers-Smith said.
Osborne was shot in the chest during training and was conscious as bystanders performed CPR, according to a copy of the 911 calls obtained by The Columbus Dispatch.
Osborne was employed by the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility for 13 years and was named its employee of the year just days before his death, officials said.
He was on the facility’s honor guard and Special Response Team, and he was a member of the statewide Special Tactics And Response team, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction statement.
On April 10, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered U.S. and state flags at all of the department’s facilities to be flown at half-staff in honor of Osborne.
“We ask that you keep Lt. Osborne’s wife, children, loved ones, and team members in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” Chambers-Smith said.
The correctional facility is in Scioto County about an 80-mile drive south from Columbus.
______________
©2024 The Charlotte Observer.
Visit charlotteobserver.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
