SAINT CLAIR TOWNSHIP, OH - Authorities confirmed that one officer has been shot, one child has been killed and the armed suspect was fatally shot in a shooting on Wednesday, January 22nd.
According to reports, a St. Clair Township police officer and a four-year-old girl, Rosalie Martin, were critically injured after a male, later identified as 30-year-old Joseph Como, opened fire on police. The child was flown to nearby hospital and died of her injuries. Como was also shot and died of his injuries.
The officer, later identified as Detective Dakota Wetzel, was responsive after being shot in the head and was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital to undergo surgery. He was last listed as in stable condition and moved to the intensive care unit.
Police Chief Brian McKenzie said that the shooting occurred after the Community Action Agency called police about a suspected suicidal man. Officers tried to talk with Como when he opened fire on them. Officers returned fire, striking Como. During an emotional press conference, McKenzie said, "Almost immediately, the man pulled a weapon and opened fire on my officers."
During the shootout, a stray bullet pierced through Dentistry for Children & Teens on St. Clair Avenue, striking both Rosalie and Detective Wetzel in the head. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), the Columbiana County Sheriff's Department, and surrounding police departments assisted on the scene.
Court records show that Como had an active warrant out of Wellsville for a domestic violence charge. That warrant was issued on December 30, 2024. McKenzie said, "We're trying to gather information as fast as we can so we can update the community. Right now, we need the community to pray for our officer and the child who was shot."
The Ohio Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) has offered its sympathies to the families of the officer and child. It is accepting tax-deductible donations for the victims and their families.
In a separate incident, seven police officers were shot one after the other after responding to a call made from inside a home in San Antonio, Texas. According to ABC News, the incident happed during the evening hours on Wednesday, January 22nd, when officers received a call from an apartment from somebody reporting that their family member was in distress and needed immediate help.
However, as police responded to the scene, they were shot one after the other in succession. San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus said that the first officer who responded was shot in the lower extremities with the second officer being shot shortly after. A third responding officer arrived on scene and was shot before the last officer responded and was struck by a bullet in the upper torso.
As of this writing, further information on those three officers has not been released. All of the officers were taken to the hospital where they are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Each officer had between four to eight years of experience on the force. According to KSAT, McManus provided an update on the shooting just after 2:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 23rd. He confirmed that an additional three officers were shot by the suspect.
The conditions of those three officers are unclear. The suspect, whose name has not been released, has bene identified as a man in his 40s. The suspect barricaded himself inside the apartment for several hours. Officers eventually found the suspect dead in an apartment. It is unclear if the suspect died of self-inflicted wounds or if he died by officer gunfire. McManus confirmed that the suspect was arrested on January 18th and bonded out of the Bexar County Jail.
According to reports, a St. Clair Township police officer and a four-year-old girl, Rosalie Martin, were critically injured after a male, later identified as 30-year-old Joseph Como, opened fire on police. The child was flown to nearby hospital and died of her injuries. Como was also shot and died of his injuries.
The officer, later identified as Detective Dakota Wetzel, was responsive after being shot in the head and was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital to undergo surgery. He was last listed as in stable condition and moved to the intensive care unit.
Police Chief Brian McKenzie said that the shooting occurred after the Community Action Agency called police about a suspected suicidal man. Officers tried to talk with Como when he opened fire on them. Officers returned fire, striking Como. During an emotional press conference, McKenzie said, "Almost immediately, the man pulled a weapon and opened fire on my officers."
During the shootout, a stray bullet pierced through Dentistry for Children & Teens on St. Clair Avenue, striking both Rosalie and Detective Wetzel in the head. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), the Columbiana County Sheriff's Department, and surrounding police departments assisted on the scene.
Court records show that Como had an active warrant out of Wellsville for a domestic violence charge. That warrant was issued on December 30, 2024. McKenzie said, "We're trying to gather information as fast as we can so we can update the community. Right now, we need the community to pray for our officer and the child who was shot."
The Ohio Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) has offered its sympathies to the families of the officer and child. It is accepting tax-deductible donations for the victims and their families.
In a separate incident, seven police officers were shot one after the other after responding to a call made from inside a home in San Antonio, Texas. According to ABC News, the incident happed during the evening hours on Wednesday, January 22nd, when officers received a call from an apartment from somebody reporting that their family member was in distress and needed immediate help.
However, as police responded to the scene, they were shot one after the other in succession. San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus said that the first officer who responded was shot in the lower extremities with the second officer being shot shortly after. A third responding officer arrived on scene and was shot before the last officer responded and was struck by a bullet in the upper torso.
As of this writing, further information on those three officers has not been released. All of the officers were taken to the hospital where they are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Each officer had between four to eight years of experience on the force. According to KSAT, McManus provided an update on the shooting just after 2:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 23rd. He confirmed that an additional three officers were shot by the suspect.
The conditions of those three officers are unclear. The suspect, whose name has not been released, has bene identified as a man in his 40s. The suspect barricaded himself inside the apartment for several hours. Officers eventually found the suspect dead in an apartment. It is unclear if the suspect died of self-inflicted wounds or if he died by officer gunfire. McManus confirmed that the suspect was arrested on January 18th and bonded out of the Bexar County Jail.
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Comments
2025-01-27T02:19-0500 | Comment by: James
I'm betting the pigs shot the child ...... And San Antonio pigs, they can reap it .... People have had enough of ya and they know what you are .... It only gets worse for entities that AIN'T supposed to be ..........