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Officers won't be charged for fatally shooting Ohio man in vehicle

BodyCam.jpeg
Posted at 1:18 PM, Feb 03, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-03 14:44:56-05

Body-worn camera footage from the moment Wyoming, Ohio, police officers shot and killed Joe Frasure was released during a press conference held by the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office.

The shooting happened Monday; Frasure died in the hospital overnight Tuesday.

Prosecutor Melissa Powers said Frasure drove at officers and was shot at least once.

“These officers should be commended for their bravery,” Powers said.

She repeated multiple times that it was appropriate for officers to fire at him.

"Whether he was driving intentionally to run the officers over or whether he was trying to flee, we will never know for sure," said Powers.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said three Wyoming officers responded to a home on Durrell Avenue around 12:40 a.m. Monday for the report of a possible burglary.

When they arrived, they encountered two people in the back of a vacant home, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said.

Family members at a Monday night vigil for Frasure said the two were not burglarizing the house, saying it belonged to a relative who had recently died. On Wednesday, Wyoming police said Frasure's father was no longer "sought by police," but would not provide any other details.

Investigators said the two men did not respond to officers' commands and attempted to leave the scene. Brady said body-worn cameras captured Frasure refusing to exit a minivan at the back of the driveway. Brady said Frasure then reversed the vehicle "at a high rate of speed" before hitting a tree and accelerating toward the officers.