Videos show what happened before exchange of gunfire between suspect and Ross County Deputy
By: Surveillance video released by the Ross County Sheriff’s Office shows what transpired between a man and a deputy before the two exchanged gunfire.
The incident happened around 5 p.m. Thursday at the sheriff’s office in Chillicothe.
In the video, 42-year-old Nicholas Mitchell is seen walking around the building and approaching a door on the back side of the sheriff’s office.
Mitchell then knocks on a full-length window by the door before pacing in a parking lot. Sgt. Eric Kocheran then opens the door roughly 20 seconds later.
In Kocheran's body camera video, Mitchell asks for help and for Kocheran to get a couple more officers.
When asked why, Mitchell says somebody said they're going to hurt his family and they wanted him to hurt kids. He then says he can't do that, so he “has to do this” and pulls out a gun.
Kocheran responds by telling Mitchell multiple times to put the weapon down as he draws his gun.
Mitchell then fires a shot and Kocheran returns fire through the open door from inside the building. Mulitple shots were fired before Mitchell falls to the ground.
Kocheran was transported to Grant Medical Center in Columbus in serious condition. As of Friday afternoon, there has been no update on his condition.
Mitchell was taken to a hospital in the Chillicothe area and died from his injuries.
Ross County Sheriff George Lavender requested that the Ohio BCI investigate the incident.