Four Dead Including Rittman Police Sergeant After Night of Shootings in Wayne County
A police sergeant, three other victims and a suspect were killed during a shooting incident in Rittman, Ohio, while four sheriff's deputies were wounded.
Four people died after a violent incident in Wayne County on Sunday night, including Sgt. Scott Ries, a 10-year veteran of the Rittman Police Department. The sheriff’s dispatch center received 911 calls around 9:30 p.m. reporting a disturbance and gunfire in the 90 block of Chippewa Trail, prompting officers to respond and come under fire.
According to Sheriff Tom Ballinger, the suspect and two victims were killed, while four Medina County sheriff’s deputies were shot; two were treated at the scene and two were hospitalized in stable condition. A Wayne County sheriff’s K-9 named Vick was also injured and remains in serious condition.
Rittman Police Chief Robert Shows, Sheriff Ballinger and Medina County Sheriff Terry Grice issued a joint statement confirming the deaths and injuries. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation.
The victims included a 43-year-old woman and her teenage daughter, who were killed before the officer and the suspect died. The suspect, identified as a 38-year-old man, died by self-inflicted gunshot.
Law enforcement agencies from the sheriff’s office and the Rittman, Wooster and Smithville police departments responded, with several vehicles—some bearing bullet holes—towed from the scene. Authorities advised residents to avoid the area near Rittman High School.
