Saturday, August 26th, 2023
Celina police kills man
Police fatally shoots St. Marys man
By William Kincaid
Photo by Ryan Snyder/The Daily Standard
Celina's Eastview Park pond area was the scene of a police-involved shooting early Friday morning. Celina police shot and killed a 24-year-old St. Marys man during an encounter at the park.
CELINA - Celina police shot and killed a 24-year-old St. Marys man during an encounter early Friday morning near the Eastview Park pond.
Corey Andrew was pronounced dead at Mercer County Community Hospital, according to a news release from Celina Police Chief Tom Wale.
Celina police officers were conducting an investigation at about 2:12 a.m. Friday near the Eastview Park pond when they "had an encounter" with Andrew, the release states.
"That encounter resulted in a police involved shooting," the release reads.
The Celina Police Department asked Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to conduct an independent investigation.
"BCI was requested early this morning to investigate a fatal officer-involved shooting," a BCI spokesperson confirmed to The Daily Standard. "No officers were injured.
No other details, including the name of any officer involved in the shooting, were revealed in Wale's release.
The shooting remains under investigation by BCI, Hazel said.
A Celina Police Department calls-for-service report lists a 2:12. a.m. call about a suspicious vehicle at Eastview Park.
Photo by Ryan Snyder/The Daily Standard
Authorities tag evidence near Eastview Park pond in Celina where a man died during an encounter with Celina police. Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was called in to investigate the incident.
Radio dispatch communications paint a picture of police officers seemingly engaged in a chase with a subject near the Eastview Park pond.
"He's taking off, he's taking off," a voice can be heard in one recording.
"Which way?" another voice asks.
"Shots fired!" the first speaker screamed back. "He tried to strike me."
"Get Coldwater, get St. Marys, get the county out here," another voice said.
At another point, a question was asked about the whereabouts of the subject.
"Vehicle shot, get up here now … get some more units here, now," was the reply.
Also in dispatch communications is a request for a squad at the pond for a gunshot victim.
Responding to the scene were Celina police sergeants Gabe Bartlett, Patrick Crosby and Colin Fuelling; patrolmen Justin Rice, Kyle Balthis, Jeremy Kerr, David Powell, Anthony Poppe and Nathan Miller; assistant chief Dan Harting and chief Wale, according to the calls-for-service report.
Photo by Ryan Snyder/The Daily Standard
Authorities spent the morning processing the shooting scene, gathering and documenting evidence at Celina's Eastview Park. Celina police cruisers and a BCI crime unit vehicle were parked at the scene.
Hazel declined to say if any police personnel have been placed on administrative leave following the shooting, but noted, "There's some traumatic issues with some of the officers."
He also confirmed BCI is the lead investigator of the shooting.
"They were called in to do the investigation as an objective third party," Hazel said.
Authorities could be seen processing the shooting scene in the morning, with police cruisers and a BCI crime unit vehicle parked near the pond beach. A beige SUV with all four doors open was rested on a walking path just beyond the south side of the park parking lot.
"They've, of course, cordoned it off, doing their different testing and everything … and measuring, they're doing a lot of that," Hazel said. "They've been doing that all morning."
The scene was cleared later on in the evening and people could be seen swimming in the pond.
Photo by Ryan Snyder/The Daily Standard
Authorities spent the morning processing the shooting scene, gathering and documenting evidence at Celina's Eastview Park. Celina police cruisers and a BCI crime unit vehicle were parked at the scene.
Hazel said city law director George Moore and city safety service director Tom Hitchcock are also aiding the investigation.
He assured residents that community safety is a top priority.
"The chief and I are working with area law enforcement agencies to make sure that Celina remains a safe place. We are continuing to watch out for the safety and well-being of all of our citizens," he said. "Under the circumstances, Chief Wale has done an excellent job of coordinating and scheduling to continue to provide the protection and safety for our community."
The last police-involved shooting in Celina occurred on April 10, 2013, when then patrolman Andy Regedanz shot Robert Hensley at an auto dealership along East Market Street. Hensley, who reportedly was armed and waiving a gun in public prior to the shooting, was later pronounced dead at Coldwater hospital.
A Mercer County grand jury determined that Regedanz was justified in the fatal shooting. The special prosecutor at the time said jurors "found the use of deadly force by Regedanz was reasonable and justified."
