Suspects named in incident that left Bluffton cop dead

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FINDLAY – Officials with the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Friday released the identities of the three suspects arrested following an incident near Bluffton that left a Bluffton Police Department officer dead.

Emin Johnson, 20, of Euclid, is currently being held at the Hancock County Justice Center in Findlay on a preliminary charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Also being held in Hancock County is Zachary Love, 21, of Columbus, charged with single counts of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and receiving stolen property.

A third suspect, Donte Tate, is being held in the Medina County jail on a charge of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer.

The arrests are all in conjunction with a high-speed chase through several counties early Thursday morning which ended in the death of Bluffton police officer Dominic Francis, who was killed when he was struck by the fleeing vehicle while attempting to deploy stop sticks to halt the car.

The incident took place at approximately 2:30 a.m. along Interstate 75 near the state Route 103 exit, just north of Bluffton. The suspects drove a short distance after striking Francis before exiting the vehicle and fleeing on foot.

One suspect was arrested in Hancock County shortly after the incident. A second stole a vehicle from a Hancock County residence and was arrested later Thursday in Elyria.

A third suspect eluded police until early afternoon on Thursday, when he was captured at an undisclosed location.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday ordered that flags of the United States and the State of Ohio be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Allen and Hancock counties, the Ohio Statehouse, the Vern Riffe Center and the Rhodes State Office Tower in Francis’ honor. Flags are to remain lowered until sunset on the day of the officer’s funeral.

Tate
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2022/04/web1_DONTE-TATE-..-Bluffton-incident.jpgTate

Johnson
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2022/04/web1_EMIN-JOHNON-…-Bluffton-incident.jpgJohnson

Love
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2022/04/web1_ZACHARY-LOVE-…-Bluffton-incident.jpgLove

By J Swygart

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