SOUTHINGTON — Calls to the Trumbull County 911 Center on Friday evening reveal reports of a man waving a gun and stopping traffic on state Route 534 moments before he was fatally shot by law enforcement.

It is the second officer-involved shooting in Trumbull County in as many months. Callers to 911 dispatchers described chaotic scenes along state Route 534 near a lumber store in Southington.

One woman reported that “a guy just flagged down my vehicle and asked me to call 911 because he’s about to shoot himself.”

Another caller said the man, an older white male with gray or white hair and a beard, was “in the middle of the road stopping traffic with a gun in his hand,” wearing a black shirt and tan pants. “He’s got traffic all sorts of backed up here,” the caller said. Another caller said the man was walking toward the lumber store’s driveway while waving what appeared to be a pistol.

The Portage County Coroner’s Office on Monday could not provide the victim’s name, but said he was 56. He was pronounced dead at University Hospitals Portage Medical Center following the 5 p.m. Friday confrontation.

Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office Major Douglas Bobovnyik said the incident has placed three officers on administrative leave as investigations proceed.

“There’s a process and procedure along with benchmarks that have to be met before they return to the field,” Bobovnyik said.

He outlined steps, including interviews by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and an internal probe by the sheriff’s office, along with mandatory counseling and psychiatric evaluations to assess fitness for duty.

“The Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office assures the community of transparency and will uphold the highest standards of conduct and accountability throughout this investigation,” Bobovnyik said.

The shooting unfolded in the 1300 block of state Route 534 after multiple agencies, including the sheriff’s office and Braceville Police Department, responded to the calls. Officers approached the armed man, shots were fired and he was transported to the hospital, where he later died.

No officers were injured, and it’s unclear which department fired the fatal shots. BCI is leading the investigation.

PREVIOUS INCIDENT

This follows another officer-involved shooting Oct. 12, when 38-year-old Brad M. Bailey was fatally shot by police on Fourth Street SW in Warren after a chase from Champion.

A call log from Trumbull County dispatch showed that the suspect, identified as Bailey, allegedly threatened and assaulted a 911 caller and others inside a Bristol Township home before fleeing the residence. Dispatchers were informed that Bailey was armed with a firearm and may have had suicidal intentions, but his family disputes that claim. The Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office reported that the incident began around 7 a.m. Oct. 12, with law enforcement responding to the scene following a pursuit that originated in Champion.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation also is investigating that incident.