it s just a crash of emotions. disbelief, anger to some extent hatred. patrolman blum pulls through, but the loss of hopper, one of the squad s most beloved deputies is a crushing blow. this is the worst day in my 24 years as a sheriff of clark county. the gunman, michael ferryman, had a history of mental instability and violence. in 2001, he was involved in another shoot-out with officers in another ohio trailer park. no one was hurt and ferryman was found not guilty by reason of insanity. fast forward to 2011 and ferryman is living at another campground, monitored by the county but somehow gets ahold of a gun. we had no knowledge of that. and i m still upset about that.
i grabbed them and pulled him back behind the camper to cover and deputies continued to return fire. hold your fire. hold your fire. officers are ordered to cease-fire while patrolman blum receives medical attention and is airlifted to the hospital. as the team regroups, sheriff kelly tries one more time to convince ferryman to give himself up. come on out. throw your weapons down and your hands up. michael, it s time to stop. but there s no answer. a s.w.a.t. team and an armored vehicle move in, expecting another shoot-out. instead, they find the gunman already dead in his trailer from the exchange of fire. just outside is the lifeless body of deputy suzanne hopper. she s been shot in the head.
sheriff kelly scrambles into the line of fire and pulls the patrolman back to safety. i grabbed them and pulled him back behind the camper to cover and deputies continued to return fire. hold your fire. hold your fire. officers are ordered to cease-fire while patrolman blum receives medical attention and is airlifted to the hospital. as the team regroups, sheriff kelly tries one more time to convince ferryman to give himself up. come on out. throw your weapons down and your hands up. michael, it s time to stop. but there s no answer. a s.w.a.t. team and an armored vehicle move in, expecting another shoot-out. instead, they find the gunman already dead in his trailer from
that trailer. the shooter is 57-year-old michael ferryman, a resident of the trailer park with a history of mental health problems. he s barricaded himself inside his mobile home. i still got movement at the trailer as well. just keep looking out the window. cameraman don hatcher from wdtn in dayton finds a hiding place behind a tree to record the scene as it unfolds. it was a good spot. i could see everything. and i stayed there and nobody knew i was there. the cops couldn t see me and hopefully the guy with the gun couldn t see me either. sheriff kelly orders the shooter to surrender as officers set up a perimeter. but the gunman has a big advantage. deputy hopper is lying only feet from his trailer and it s impossible for the police to
the exchange of fire. just outside is the lifeless body of deputy suzanne hopper. she s been shot in the head. it s just a crash of emotions. disbelief, anger to some extent hatred. patrolman blum pulls through, but the loss of hopper, one of the squad s most beloved deputies is a crushing blow. this is the worst day in my 24 years as a sheriff of clark county. the gunman, michael ferryman, had a history of mental instability and violence. in 2001, he was involved in another shoot-out with officers in another ohio trailer park. no one was hurt and ferryman was found not guilty by reason of insanity.