MIAMI TWP., Montgomery County — The three Miami Twp. police officers who fired shots at a man who was involved in a deadly shootout in September were not indicted after a grand jury reviewed the case.
The grand jury’s decision on the case was announced late Thursday.
Frederick Thomas, 41, was killed after Det. Scott Miller, Officer Austin Snowden and Officer William “Drew” Olinger were involved in the shooting.
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The domestic violence was reported in the 8900 block of Fox Glove Way around 9:09 p.m. Sept. 5.
“Get away from me. Leave me alone.” a woman said in the 911 call, obtained by News Center 7 through a public records request. “Get off of my baby.”
As officers were responding to the domestic violence call around 9:11 p.m., they received another 911 call from a neighbor reporting hearing two or three gunshots coming from the direction of the home where the domestic violence call came from, according to police.
The gunshots information was relayed to the officers responding to the scene, Stiegelmeyer said.
Eight minutes after the initial dispatch, police could hear Thomas in the garage of the residence making threatening statements such as “I am ready for a shootout,” Stiegelmeyer said.
Police were concerned that the woman who called 911 initially and possibly an additional juvenile might have already been harmed or were in harms way, so officers approached the house and knocked on the door at 9:20 p.m.
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As officers approached the door, body camera video showed Thomas open the door and say “I’m going to blow your brains out.”
That’s when Stiegelmeyer said Thomas began firing a handgun at officers and officers returned fire.
“As officers retreated, they observed Mr. Thomas close the front door of the residence and barricade himself inside the residence,” Steigermeyer said.
Additional help was requested from police agencies around Montgomery County, who responded to assist Miami Twp. officers.
A SWAT team was called and attempted to make contact with Thomas several times and around 1:24 a.m. Monday, police found Thomas dead in the hallway next to the front door, the Police Chief said.
It was the second time police had been to the residence on Fox Glove that day. Earlier in the day, police responded on a similar call and had taken Thomas to his sister’s home in another portion of the township, Stiegelmeyer said. Police were unaware that the sister had brought him back to the house, the Chief added.
Ohio BCI was called to conduct the investigation into the officer-involved shooting “as an independent non-bias agency.”
Steigelmeyer said Thomas had numerous contacts with the department, including several domestic violence complaints, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
Thomas was a convicted felon and had many other arrests for crimes such as felonious assault, assault on a police officer, robbery and felony drug possession.
Two handguns were recovered inside the residence and one was close to Thomas, Steigelmeyer said.