Ohio Officer Fatally Shot Responding to Disturbance Call

Elyria (Ohio) Police officer James Kerstetter was fatally shot during a neighborhood disturbance call after he located a suspect who may have exposed himself to a child, the agency announced.

Elyria (Ohio) Police officer James Kerstetter was fatally shot during a neighborhood disturbance call after he located a suspect who may have exposed himself to a child, the agency announced.

The officer, who had radioed for back-up, was shot inside the residence of suspect Ronald Palmer. Kerstetter responded to the house, after a neighbor reported that a neighbor had exposed himself to her child and kicked in a window.

After firing at the officer, Palmer ran out the back of the house, where he was shot and killed by backup officers, according to a release on the department's Website.

Kerstetter served the department for 15 years as an accident investigator, field training officer, and member of the department's special response team.

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