DAYTON — A grand jury will not review the case involving six Dayton police officers who in August fatally shot Oregon District mass shooter Connor Betts, according to a letter sent to Chief Richard Biehl by Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr.
>> Remembering the Victims | 2019 Dayton Oregon District Mass Shooting
“As you know, police officer shootings that involve the death of the suspect are generally presented by my office to the Montgomery County grand jury for review,” Heck wrote to Biehl in the letter dated Jan. 15. “However, in those cases where after a thorough and careful review by a panel of prosecutors, the facts, circumstances, and evidence are so clear that the shooting was justified, no purpose is served by taking the case to the Grand Jury. Such is the case with the Oregon District shooting.”
In early morning of Aug. 4, Betts, 24, opened fire in front of Ned Peppers bar on East Fifth Street, killing nine people, including his sister, and injuring 27 others as he attempted to enter the bar. Within 30 seconds of opening fire, the six officers shot the gunman.
“It is clear beyond any doubt and there can be absolutely no question that Dayton Police Department Officers Jeremy Campbell, Vincent Carter, David Denlinger, Ryan Nabel, Brian Rolfes and Sgt. William Knight all shot and killed Connor Betts in self-defense and in the self-defense and protection of others.”
The other victims are Monica Brickhouse, 39; Nicholas Cumer, 25; Derrick Fudge, 57; Thomas McNichols, 25; Lois Oglesby, 27; Saheed Saleh, 38; Logan Turner, 30; and Beatrice Warren Curtis, 36.
Betts was wearing a bulletproof vest and used an AR-15-style weapon in the shooting, police said, adding that he had up to 250 rounds of ammunition on him.
Betts former schoolmates have said seemed be obsessed with violence and displayed violent behavior. He pulled a gun on a friend, put a knife to another classmate’s neck and attempted to choke another. He also compiled rape and kill lists of classmates, friends have said.
He also told one former classmate who spoke on condition of anonymity that he fantasized about tying her up and slitting her throat. The fetish was so macabre that even the shooter admitted he was scared of his thoughts, the woman recalled him saying.
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The area, particularly the Oregon District, continue to heal from the shooting. Comedian and Greene County resident Dave Chappelle hosted the Gem City Shine concert which attracted more than 20,000 people. The six officers were also recognized by the White House for their heroics.
