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No charges in officer-related shooting death

WARREN — No charges will be filed against police officers who shot and killed a domestic violence suspect Oct. 12 in front of 681 Fourth St. SW in Warren, according to Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins.

According to a report released Tuesday by Watkins, Brad Bailey was shot just before 7 a.m. by multiple law enforcement officers. Although few details on the shooting were released at the time, Tuesday’s report details the original 911 calls and the several hours that followed and led up to Bailey’s shooting.

The report states that at 12:34 a.m. Oct. 12, dispatchers at the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office received four 911 calls regarding a domestic dispute at 7123 Oakfield North Road NW in Bristol Township. One of those calls was made by Bailey’s wife, Sarah, who told the dispatcher that Bailey was acting as if he were on drugs, had pushed her, tried to run her off the road and stole her phone.

Sarah also told the dispatcher that there was a physical struggle over her phone and that Bailey previously was a heroin addict and had been charged with domestic violence previously, the report states. She also said Bailey previously used crack and uses pills. She said Bailey was on parole and even though they were arguing, she allowed him to stay there but told him to sleep in another room.

Sarah told dispatchers that Bailey came into the room where she was and tried touching her inappropriately and accused her of cheating on him, the report states. When sheriff’s deputies arrived and spoke to the couple separately, Bailey agreed to leave the house and stay at a house in Champion where he had been doing some remodeling work for his employer. A deputy dropped Bailey off at the home near the McDonald’s in Champion around 1 a.m., the report states.

However, county dispatchers received two 911 calls around 6 a.m. — one from Sarah and one from her teenage daughter — who both said Bailey showed up, broke a window to get inside the Bristol house and was getting physical with both of them and another relative. Dispatchers could hear Bailey in the background saying he was “going to die, had his guns and was ready.” Sarah told dispatchers that Bailey had “fake guns” and left the house in her Buick headed toward state Route 45. She told deputies that Bailey tried to choke her when she tried to get in her car to leave, the report states.

Bailey fought with the teenage victim and another relative and stole their phones before leaving the residence.

One of the deputies tried to call Bailey’s cellphone to get him to pull over, but Bailey hung up. A Champion police officer attempted to stop the Buick, but he fled and dispatchers told the officer Bailey intended to commit “suicide by cop” and he may be armed with a gun, the report states. A chase into the city of Warren began, with Bailey driving at a high rate of speed and forcing a Champion officer off the road.

After fleeing into the woods with a handgun, Bailey later ran toward the officers and used the gun to break one of the cruiser’s windows, the report states. He then pointed the gun at the officers while still walking toward them, so the officers fired at him and struck him multiple times on Fourth Street SW. He later died from his injuries and the coroner’s office ruled he was struck multiple times, with several gunshots to his torso being fatal.

After an investigation by BCI, it was determined that the officers were justified in their use of force and Watkins said no presentation of charges would be made to a grand jury.

Watkins also said his office would have no further comment because of a possible civil lawsuit that could be filed.

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