FREDERICKTOWN – The search for two armed individuals near the Richland County line is tied to an officer-involved shooting that allegedly occurred in Fredericktown on Thursday afternoon, according to local law enforcement officials.
Fredericktown Police Chief Kyle Johnson told Knox Pages Thursday that one of his units was involved in an exchange near the intersection of Armentrout Road and Upper Fredericktown-Amity Road, where shots were fired and two individuals fled north in a red Pontiac Grand Am. They were still at-large as of 7 p.m.
It’s currently unclear who fired the gun – whether it was one of the individuals in the car, an officer, or both – and how many rounds were released. It’s also unclear if anyone was injured during the altercation. Johnson said the officer was not injured, but the status of the wanted individuals was unknown Thursday evening.
The exchange occurred as a result of a traffic stop, Knox County Sheriff David Shaffer said. It’s unclear at this time why a gun was drawn, and who was armed in this situation.
Law enforcement officials were unable to identify the individuals in the vehicle, and Johnson said they were not known to the Fredericktown police department. Johnson declined to release the name of the officer or officers involved in the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
While Johnson said Fredericktown police officers are equipped with body cameras and dashboard cameras, he could not confirm whether they were utilized at the time of the incident.
“We have both of those available,” Johnson, who is currently on vacation out-of-state, said in a phone call. “At this point, I don’t know the recording status of both of those, so I can’t speak to that.”
It’s unclear what time the shooting occurred. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office sent out a Knox Alert to the public at 3:31 p.m., asking for help in locating the red Pontiac Grand Am. It had stickers in the rear window, the sheriff’s office reported, and its license plate read “JIF8948.”
The individuals allegedly involved, while not named, were a male “with shaggy hair” and a female, the sheriff’s office stated. They were last seen driving the vehicle on Divelbiss Road.
“They are believed to be armed with a gun,” the Knox Alert read. “If you see a vehicle matching this description, call the sheriff’s office and do not attempt to make contact with the vehicle or occupants.”
The vehicle and those inside remained at-large as of 7 p.m. Thursday. Those with information are encouraged to contact the Knox County Sheriff’s Office at 740-397-3333.
“We’ve put out a BOLO to all surrounding agencies,” Shaffer said. “It’s pretty much a group effort for all law enforcement in this area, to try and locate the vehicle.”
Johnson, who became chief in October 2019, said Thursday he was unsure if Fredericktown had ever seen an officer-involved shooting.
“It is certainly uncommon,” he noted. “To say for certain whether the department has ever had one – I can’t say with 100-percent certainty, but I don’t think so.”
There were 10 yellow evidence markers scattered along Upper Fredericktown-Amity Road on Thursday, midway up the hill that begins at the Armentrout Road intersection. BCI units from multiple nearby counties were on the scene.
Johnson vowed to release more information as the investigation unfolded.
“We’re gonna let BCI investigate this and as they have some facts that are able to be released – facts with certainty – then we’ll do that,” Johnson said. “But I certainly don’t want to release anything at this point that is just speculation.”
