RITTMAN, Ohio — The Rittman Police Department has identified Sgt. Scott Ries as the officer killed in the line of duty during a Sunday night shooting in Wayne County that left multiple people dead and several others injured.
In a statement, the department called his death an “unimaginable loss” and honored his years of dedicated service.
“Sgt. Ries served the Rittman Police Department with honor and courage. Throughout his service, he demonstrated an enduring commitment to protecting others and upholding the values of our department,” officials said. “Our hearts are broken with this unimaginable loss.”
Ries joined the Rittman Police Department full-time in April 2018, after previously serving as a part-time officer from 2015 to 2018. He also spent many years with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office from 1996 to 2015 and earlier served with the Sugar Grove Police Department from 1995 to 2002.
Shooting Details
According to officials, Rittman police officers responded around 9:30 p.m. Sunday to a 911 call reporting a break-in and shots fired at a home in the 90 block of Chippewa Trail.
When officers arrived, they came under immediate gunfire. During the exchange of gunfire, Sgt. Ries was struck and killed.
Authorities said the suspected shooter was later found dead inside the home along with two victims identified as the suspect’s ex-partner and her 13-year-old child.
Four deputies from the Medina County Sheriff’s Office were also shot during the incident. Two were transported to a hospital and are in stable condition, while two others were treated at the scene. A Wayne County Sheriff’s Office K-9 was also shot and remains in serious condition.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation as officials work to determine the full sequence of events surrounding the deadly incident.
The shooting prompted a large law enforcement response and temporarily locked down parts of the city as the scene was secured.
