FEB. 2025. Blues Vol 41 No.2

OHIO OFFICER SHOT

OHIO OFFICER SHOT INHEAD, SUSPECT, 4-YEAR-OLD BYSTANDER KILLED INSHOOTOUTBy Mike Stunson,The Bradenton HeraldST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP, OH. — A4-year-old girl died after beingstruck by a stray bullet during ashootout involving police, Ohioauthorities say.The incident began just after2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22,when officers in St. Clair Townshipresponded to a report abouta possible suicidal man, policesaid. Within moments, the manopened fire on the officers.Officers returned fire, strikingand killing the 30-year-oldarmed suspect, according to theSt. Clair Township Police Department.But an officer and 4-yearoldgirl were also struck duringthe exchanging of gunfire.Police said Detective DakotaWetzel was shot in the head,and he was taken to a Pittsburghhospital in critical condition. In aThursday morning update, policesaid he was upgraded to stablecondition.“Detective Wetzel was able toopen his eyes and give familymembers a thumbs up overnight,”police said. “He remainsin intensive care at the hospitalbut we are optimistic.”The 4-year-old girl, however,did not survive her injuries, thedepartment said. She was shotwhen a bullet came througha neighboring business, whichWTAE and WEWS reported wasa dentist office, and she diedafter being taken to a separatehospital.Police identified the girl as RosalieMartin. She was shot in thehead, her grandmother said in aFacebook post.“This tragedy has left this familyin shambles,” loved ones saidin a GoFundMe.St. Clair Township is in ColumbianaCounty, about a 45-miledrive northwest from Pittsburgh.FORMER ARK. OFFICER AR-RESTED, CHARGED IN ASSAULTOF HANDCUFFED INMATEAssociated PressLITTLE ROCK, AK. — A formerArkansas police officer whowas caught on video beating ahandcuffed inmate in the backof his patrol car last year hasbeen arrested and charged withaggravated assault.Former Jonesboro Police OfficerJoseph Tucker Harris, 29, wasarrested on Tuesday on chargesof felony charges of aggravatedassault, filing a false report, andmisdemeanor third-degree battery.Harris was released froma county detention center on,000 bond.Harris was fired in August afterhe was caught on his patrol carcamera punching, elbowing andslamming a car door against thehead of detainee Billy Lee Coram,who was being transferredfrom a local hospital back tojail in Craighead County.The federal lawsuit Coramfiled against Harris, the cityof Jonesboro and Jonesboro’spolice chief over the beating isscheduled to go to trial in May2026. Coram’s lawsuit claimshis constitutional rights wereviolated.In a roughly 12-minute video,Coram is wearing a hospitalgown and choking himself witha seatbelt wrapped around hisneck as the car is moving. Afterthe car pulls over, Harris opensthe door and punches and elbowsCoram several times in theface as he unwinds the belt.Harris later slams the car dooragainst Coram’s head. Accordingto the federal lawsuit, Coramhad been taken to the hospitalafter ingesting a baggie offentanyl and had run away fromthe hospital when he panicked.He had wrapped the seatbeltaround his neck to try and gaghimself to dislodge the fentanylhe believed was still in his system,the lawsuit said.68 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25

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