An unidentified man called 911 on Sunday and said there was “a guy with a gun” but the dispatcher had difficulty understanding the caller with a thick accent. The dispatcher asked him to repeat himself but disconnected.
The dispatcher had requested an officer check out the 911 hang-up and Davis responded to the 3300 block of Port Union Road. The call came in at around 3:45 p.m. Sunday.
Upon arrival, Davis attempted to talk with Molina-Hernandez, who was standing in the road.
The rookie officer ordered Molina-Hernandez several times to drop the weapon. Davis reported on radio traffic provided by the Fairfield Police Department that “it appears he has a gun in his hand.”
Molina-Hernandez had taken up a “shooting stance,” according to police. A moment after hearing Davis saying Molina-Hernandez had a weapon, dispatchers called for backup. Davis then could be heard saying with a distressed tone “shots fired.” The dispatcher repeated the call.
After the shooting, a wellness check of the officer was requested and Davis could be heard saying he was okay and “apparently it was just a toy gun but he was pointing it at me.”
Police said the observation that the weapon was a “toy” took place after the shooting. At the time of the shooting, police said Davis believed the weapon as it was pointed at him was real. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the agency investigating the officer-involved shooting, confirmed it was a real weapon.
Other officers arriving on the scene began life-saving measures and called for paramedics. Molina-Hernandez was transported to an area hospital, where he was still located, police confirmed Tuesday. Charges against Molina-Hernandez are pending.
No officers were injured during the incident.
It’s uncertain how long the BCI investigation will take to complete, and when Davis’ body-worn camera footage will be released. This is the third officer-involved shooting since 2016 when the department began utilizing body-worn cameras. Police said the incident where a man standing on Port Union Road on Sunday afternoon was shot by a Fairfield officer was recorded.
Davis, a 2007 Monroe High School graduate, was hired by the Fairfield Police Department in August.
According to his personnel file, before his career in law enforcement, Davis worked as a landscaper in Middletown. He was a part owner of Environmental Control SWO in Tipp City for several years, selling his shares in January 2021 to pursue a law enforcement career.
His personnel records also outline he briefly studied criminal justice at both Miami University Middletown and Indiana Wesleyan University but never graduated. He received his Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy certification through Butler Tech in October 2021. While studying to be a police officer, Davis worked part-time as a landscaper in Monroe.
Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser’s standing policy since taking office has been to present all officer-involved shootings to a grand jury. The prosecutor told the Journal-News the case will be presented to a grand jury “as soon as BCI completes its investigation.”
Gmoser said he believes BCI’s investigation could wrap up next week.
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