INITIAL REPORT: Suspect in Hamilton Co. homicide, shot and killed by trooper in Vandalia
Just after 1 a.m. Tuesday, a state trooper, who was not identified, conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle that ran a red light on U.S. 40 near Ranch View Drive in Vandalia, said Lt. Robert Sellers of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
During the traffic stop, another vehicle not involved in the stop, a white Chevrolet Cruze, rammed the trooper’s patrol car. Dubose was driving the Chevrolet Cruze, according to law enforcement.
“The male driver, covered in blood, exited the car and approached the trooper while brandishing a knife,” Sellers said.
The trooper gave verbal commands to Dubose as he exited the vehicle and began to walk across a parking lot next to the roadway.
“The man continued to disregard verbal commands and lunged at the trooper with the knife extended,” Sellers said. “The trooper discharged one round from the service weapon striking the man.”
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Dubose was pronounced dead at the scene.
Troopers said Dubose was a suspect in a homicide that occurred in Springfield Twp., Hamilton County at 11:58 p.m. Monday.
Princess Brown, 32, was found dead inside a home on Murat Court in Springfield Twp., Hamilton County, police said in a release.
The trooper involved in Tuesday’s incident has been placed on routine administrative leave. The trooper sustained minor injuries from the crash.
Vandalia Police, Vandalia Fire and EMS and Springfield Township Police all assisted at the scene of Tuesday’s incident.
State troopers on Tuesday said they did not know what motive Dubose may have had for ramming the trooper’s cruiser. The incident is still under investigation.
“It’s always too early, you know, at this point in an investigation to make presumptions,” Sellers said. “We had no business with this person prior to this incident. Our trooper was just conducting this traffic stop…There’s a lot of unknowns. There’s a lot of work we got to do to figure out what led up to that.”
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The incident in Vandalia caught the attention of area passerby Steve Harrison who said he was in his car close by. Harrison said he looked up, saw a bunch of police cars and immediately turned on his radio.
“I was pretty calm but I was very concerned,” Harrison said.
Neighboors, such as Dylan Mitman who lives down the street, were surprised to hear about the incident.
“It’s crazy…I can’t believe that even happens,” Mitman said. “I hope the officer’s alright, and I feel like it’s still a safe neighborhood. So, I don’t think people should worry too much.”
The Vandalia officer-involved shooting comes just a few weeks after another officer-involved shooting in St. Clair Twp. in Butler County.
On June 12, a Butler County Sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a man who was shooting at a stopped train in the 4100 block of Hamilton Trenton Road. No officers were injured in the June incident.
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