LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — The investigation into a police-involved shooting that occurred on Halloween last year in Lima has been completed.
Lima Police Chief Curtis Hile told Your News Now that he has been notified the investigation conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been submitted to Van Wert County Prosecutor Eva Yarger. Yarger was appointed by the state as a special prosecutor to review the actions of officers involved in the incident. She was appointed by the state to be the special prosecutor for the case and says she will review the files and present them to a grand jury at a later date. It is up to the grand jury to determine if the officers actions were a "reasonable use of deadly force".Â
Chief Hile requested that BCI conduct an external investigation into the Oct. 31 shooting, which injured Lima Police Officer Bryce Metz and suspect Emerson Jeffrey.
According to police, Jeffrey was seated in the back of a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation at St. Johns Avenue and Second Street when he opened fire on officers at the scene, striking Metz. Officers returned fire, hitting Jeffrey.
Following the incident, seven Lima police officers were placed on administrative leave. Metz remains off duty, while the other six officers have recently returned to work in non-enforcement roles, performing administrative duties within the department.
Jeffrey has a trial date scheduled for April.
