Ohio Officer Found Shot to Death Minutes After Call Warning of Threat

DANVILLE, OH - A police officer in Ohio was found shot to death Sunday behind a municipal building in Danville with his gun and cruiser missing shortly after police received a phone call from a woman who said her ex-boyfriend took off with his weapons Sunday night and was looking to kill a cop.

The Danville officer, identified as Thomas Cottrell, was reported missing and possibly wounded late Sunday night, NBC News reports, citing the Knox County Sheriff’s Department.

After receiving the phone call, dispatchers at the sheriff’s office tried reaching Cottrell but were unsuccessful. Cottrell’s body was found just 27 minutes after the initial call was received, shortly before midnight.

The suspect, Herschel Jones, was taken into custody after a foot chase early Monday. Details on the charges Jones is facing were not immediately available.

According to NBC News, Jones has a lengthy criminal record and has served nearly four years in prison.

Cottrell was just one of six officers serving on the Danville police force.

Jay McDonald, president of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police released a statement on Cottrell’s death.

“The members of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio are heartbroken this morning as we learn about the tragic murder of Officer Thomas Cottrell of the Danville Police Department. His assassination is the latest reminder of how dangerous police work is and how the police are targeted for violence,” the statement said.