City Manager Bill Brock, when asked about the police shooting after Tuesday night’s city council meeting, said he didn’t want to comment.
Mayor Keith Funk called the fatal shooting “a tragedy all the way around that you hope to avoid at all cost.”
Five officers were placed on paid administrative leave pending the completion of an investigation of the fatal shooting of Dustin Booth on Feb. 11 at Ohio 63 and New Garver Road.
The Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the officer-involved shooting that happened at 10:44 p.m. after hours of Monroe officers trying to talk and negotiate with 35-year-old Booth, who was experiencing mental health issues, according to a press release issued by Monroe Police.
Booth’s wife called 911 about 2:10 p.m. stating her husband was experiencing a mental health crisis. She also said he was a danger to himself and to others.
Officers went to the the neighborhood where Booth drove to his Blue Grass Lane residence. He went inside without complying with officers trying to stop him, according to Monroe police.
When Booth left the house as a passenger in a vehicle, officers followed because there was a concern he was a danger to himself and the community. Officers followed to coordinate a traffic stop in and effort to take Booth into custody and have him transported to the hospital for mental health evaluation.
Police said there were several officers involved in the traffic stop due to a heightened risk because of Booth’s actions, as well as the knowledge that he might still be armed.
When Booth exited the vehicle, he failed to comply with the order of several officers and began walking away from the vehicle toward Ohio 63 with his hands up, according to police.
Officers attempted to take Booth into custody. That is when he brought his hands down and pulled a handgun from the area of his waistline. This caused several officers to fire their weapons striking him multiple times, police said.
Warren County Coroner Dr. Russell Uptegrove told the Journal-News last week that the preliminary autopsy report indicates Booth was shot 13 times. He was transported from the scene and died at Atrium Medical Center.
The officers placed on administrative leave are Sgt. Caleb Payne, Officer Michael Doughman, Officer Skylar Halsey, Officer Micah Day and Officer Austin Whitt.
Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said as is his standard policy with all officer-involved shootings, when the investigation is completed the evidence it will be presented to a grand jury for review.
Gmoser said today he has been updated on the status of the investigation by BCI and expects it to be completed in the next two to three weeks
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