05/07/12 Sparta, OH – Man Steals Knox County Sheriff’s Office Cruiser By Smashing Window – Hits Deer / Air Bags Deploy – Suspect Points M16 At Deputies – Shot And Killed

May 7, 2012

nbc4i.com

A Centerburg man is dead after he steals a cruiser, leads authorities on a pursuit and points an M16 rifle at a deputy, authorities say.

William E. Myers, 51, stole a Knox County deputy’s cruiser parked at the Canterbury Villa of Centerburg Nursing Home, 80 Miller St., Centerburg. That was at about 10 p.m. Sunday.

Troopers and deputies from both the Knox and Morrow county sheriff’s offices pursued Myers and the cruiser.

Myers crashed the cruiser into a deer, and the cruiser’s air bag deployed. He pulled the cruiser into the parking lot at the Sparta Advent Christian Church, 1137 S. Church St., in Sparta.

Morrow County Deputy Clifford O’Connor spotted the cruiser at about midnight Monday.

O’Connor confronted Myers. Myers got out of the cruiser with a M16 rifle in his hand, the Morrow County sheriff’s office said.

The deputy ordered Myers to drop the weapon repeatedly, but the suspect continued to advance toward O’Connor.

O’Connor took cover behind his cruiser and again told Myers to drop the rifle.

O’Connor fired his service weapon, hitting Myers. The sheriff’s office could not confirm how many times Myers was shot.

The deputy immediately called for assistance and paramedics.

Paramedics transported Myers to Knox Community Hospital. He died overnight Monday. An autopsy will be performed in Licking County Monday.

O’Connor also went to the hospital; he was checked and released.

NBC4 talked to Morrow County Sheriff Steven Brenneman hours after the pursuit and shooting.

“My officer spotted the vehicle and the suspect. Suspect approached my officer. He was armed. He had his weapon out … was ordered numerous times to put the weapon down. He refused and continued to approach my officer. The officer took cover behind his cruiser. The suspect still refused to put the weapon down, continued to approach my officer. And for my officer’s own safety sake, he went ahead and fired,” Brenneman said.

Authorities said the M-16 Myers had when exiting the cruiser was the Knox County deputy’s issued rifle. In other words, the rifle was in the cruiser when it was stolen.

The Knox County deputy’s cruiser apparently was locked before it was stolen because there was broken glass where it was parked originally. The Knox County sheriff’s office is investigating the cruiser theft.

O’Connor has been with the Morrow County sheriff’s office for eight months.

The theft, pursuit and shooting are being investigated by the Morrow and Knox county sheriff’s offices and Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation.