×

Officer cleared of wrongdoing

Cop who fired gun acted reasonably, prosecutor finds

NILES — An officer who fired on a repeat domestic violence offender holding a replica handgun in April acted reasonably, according to county officials.

Eric Gladhill, 45, of 616 Vienna Ave., has been arrested five times for domestic violence since 2013 in Trumbull County and has a criminal record in Florida dating back to the 1990s for offenses that include battery, stalking, assault and domestic violence, according to court records. Gladhill, who pleaded guilty in July to charges of domestic violence, aggravated menacing and intimidation, is serving an 18-month prison sentence.

Police were called to Gladhill’s home in April where he was described as being “extremely intoxicated and enraged” and fighting with his wife and children, police said. Gladhill’s wife was hiding in a closet with her daughter as she spoke with dispatchers and she said Gladhill was going to fight police, a report states. During the incident, Gladhill assaulted his daughter, 12, and son, 14, and he taunted his wife and told her to call police, according to a press release issued by Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins.

When police entered the home after announcing they were there, they saw a gun in a hand protruding from a walled-off stairwell and the gun was pointed at Officer Rich Bailey, a report states, and Officer Ryan Ifft fired three times at Gladhill.

Gladhill, who admitted to state investigators that he drank a 12-pack of beer that night, denied coming out with a replica gun and said he came down the stairs with his hands up and without a weapon as multiple officers fired on him, Watkins said. However, only Ifft fired his weapon, which Watkins said he had every right to do.

All evidence shows Gladhill was drunk, belligerent and threatening his wife and coming down the stairs toward police with what looked like a real gun, Watkins said.

“That air soft pistol (which Gladhill held) looked very real to the officer,” Watkins said. “His decision to shoot to protect a fellow officer was reasonable under the circumstances. Therefore, the only crimes committed that night were those committed by Eric Gladhill, who is in prison for them.”

Ifft also was cleared of any wrongdoing in an internal investigation by Niles police.

jwysochanski@tribtoday.com

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
     

Starting at $4.85/week.

Subscribe Today