In the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 25, 2021, Deputy Cole Blair was approached by a female subject in the 2200 block of Richland Road. The female reported that she had been driving her boyfriend around the area and that he had been breaking into vehicles. The female also reported that her boyfriend had held her at gunpoint and refused her request when she told him that she wanted to go home. The female went on to inform Deputy Blair that she had a firearm in the back seat of her vehicle that the male had stolen and placed there prior to her dropping him off at a residence in the 2700 block of Marion-Cardington Road East.
This information was relayed to other Deputies who went to the area where the male subject was dropped off. In that area, Deputy John Endicott and his K9 partner Viking located a vehicle in a driveway with the interior light on. As they stopped, a male subject ran from the vehicle towards a corn field to the south of the residence. Captain Dutton arrived on scene moments later and summoned additional units to set up a perimeter.
As an Officer from the Marion Police Department was coming into the area to assist, the suspect fired several shots in the direction of the units in the area. A few of the rounds could be heard hitting nearby trees and a nearby residence. Units on scene took cover and held their positions until a complete perimeter could be set by additional responding Deputies, Officers and Troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Once the perimeter was in place, a helicopter from the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrived and assisted with the search. During this time, an additional shot was fired by the suspect and he was located moments later, in a nearby cornfield with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect, 19 year-old William Daniels of Columbus, was taken into custody by members of the MCSO, MPD and OSP Special Response Teams and was subsequently transported to the Marion General Hospital and later to Grant Hospital for treatment. No shots were fired by any law enforcement personnel.
The subsequent investigation resulted in the recovery of 2 stolen motor vehicles, 2 stolen firearms and numerous items of personal property that were stolen from at least 9 different motor vehicles in the area. Charges of Felonious Assault on a Peace Officer, Aggravated Burglary, Grand Theft Auto, Theft of a Firearm, Kidnapping, Discharging a Firearm at a Habitation and Weapons Under Disability will be forthcoming.
Marion County Sheriff Matt Bayles would like to thank the Marion Police Department, The Ohio State Highway Patrol and their Aviation Unit, and the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in bringing this incident to a successful conclusion.