Bodycam Shows Ohio Deputies Under Fire in Ambush That Killed Police Officer

Newly released body camera footage shows Medina County sheriff's deputies coming under fire and taking cover while responding to a break-in and shots-fired call that left Rittman Police Sgt. Scott Ries and two others dead.

What to Know

  • Body camera footage shows Medina County sheriff's deputies coming under immediate gunfire while responding to a break-in and shots-fired call that escalated into a deadly ambush in Rittman, Ohio.
  • Rittman Police Sgt. Scott Ries was killed, along with suspected gunman Brandon Frazekas and two victims found inside the home; four SWAT officers were wounded and a sheriff's K-9 was shot and seriously injured.
  • The footage shows deputies taking cover behind a cruiser and preparing a drone for deployment as authorities worked to secure the scene before entering the residence.

In the body camera footage, Medina County sheriff's deputies are seen arriving to help Rittman police during a report of a break-in and shots fired at a home. When deputies reach the scene, they immediately come under fire from the gunman.

As shots ring out, the deputies take cover behind a cruiser. One deputy is seen prepping a drone to be deployed.

Authorities eventually reached the house, and Frazekas was found with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound, WKYC-TV reports. The two other victims—Christine McWilliams, 43, and her daughter, McKinley, 13—were also found in the home.

Ries was a 10-year veteran of the department. He previously had served as a Wayne County sheriff's deputy and a Sugar Grove police officer.

"Enough is enough," Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio President Jay McDonald said in a statement. "The deliberate and targeted violence directed at the men and women who protect our communities must end. We have attended far too many funerals, stood through far too many memorial services, and comforted far too many grieving families. Every attack on a law enforcement officer is an attack on the safety of the communities they have sworn to protect."

The union asked citizens to keep those affected by the shooting—the family of the those who were killed and wounded, as well as the officers, investigators and other first responders affected by the incident—in their prayers. McDonald also condemned the rise of assaults on police throughout the country.

"The increasing number of ambushes and targeted attacks against law enforcement officers across our nation is unacceptable and represents a stain on our society," he stated. "We cannot allow this violence to become the new normal."

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.
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