Tribune Chronicle / Andy Gray Howland police Sgt. Jennifer Carr, left, and Trumbull County Sheriff Paul Monroe address the media Saturday at the township administration building regarding the Tuesday night shooting death of Richard Latimer. Carr is acting police chief while Howland chief Nick Roberts and Assistant Chief Jeffrey Urso are on paid administrative leave following the shooting.

HOWLAND — Trumbull County Sheriff Paul Monroe said Howland police Chief Nick Roberts and Assistant Chief Jeffrey Urso were in imminent danger before fatally shooting slaying suspect Richard Latimer in the parking lot of Giant Eagle Tuesday.

“It’s important for you to know these officers did, in fact, have a gun leveled at them and they were forced to make a decision in a split second,” Monroe said. “I have to give them credit to have the fortitude to do what they did on Tuesday night.”

Officials confirmed at a news conference Saturday at the township administration building that Roberts and Urso were the two officers involved in the shooting and are on paid administrative leave. Sgt. Jennifer Carr is acting chief in their absence.

Latimer, 34, was killed by multiple gunshots in the Giant Eagle parking lot on East Market Street following the killing of Van Blevins, 44, at his home in Weathersfield earlier that evening. Police were searching for Latimer after his wife, Candace Latimer, called 911 and said she saw him shoot Blevins.

Carr said Howland officers went to the parking lot to look for Latimer after being told by Weathersfield police that he was heading there.

“It is my understanding he was supposed to be meeting someone there,” Carr said.

She did not say whom he was supposed to meet or whether the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which is handling the investigation, is looking at anyone else who might have aided Latimer. Carr referred most questions about the case to BCI.

Reading from a prepared statement, Carr said, “Once Roberts and Urso were in the parking lot of Giant Eagle, they observed the vehicle matching the description of make, model and color given to them by Weathersfield police. … Upon approach, officers were confronted with an armed subject, later confirmed to be Richard Latimer.

“According to preliminary witness statements, officers gave numerous commands to drop the weapon before Chief Roberts and Assistant Chief Urso were forced to use deadly force against him to protect their lives and the lives of innocent bystanders.”

Because of the size of the department, Carr said, it is not unusual for ranking officers to respond, and Monroe added that the department’s detectives are part of the Trumbull County Homicide Squad and were responding to the Weathersfield killing at the time of the call.

Monroe said the location of the confrontation — a parking lot where the grocery store and other businesses in the plaza still were open — necessitated the actions taken by Roberts and Urso.

“These officers did the best they could under the circumstances they were forced in,” he said. “They didn’t choose the circumstances. Latimer did. The officers did an outstanding job with what they had to work with.”

Only Howland officers were on the scene at the time of the shooting, and Howland has neither body cameras on its officers nor dash cams in its cruisers, Carr said. Niles, Weathersfield and the Ohio State Highway Patrol officers provided assistance after the shooting.

Howland Trustee Chairman Rick Clark said, “On behalf of the administration of Howland Township, we do support these two officers. Although we are not police officials, obviously, we are confident they acted appropriately to preserve the safety of Howland Township.”

Carr said both officers are “doing good,” but she could not say when they would return to active duty.

agray@tribtoday.com