A Columbus man who was shot and killed by Pickaway County law enforcement was a suspect in a sexual assault investigation and aimed a gun at officers before they opened fire, according to body camera footage released by the sheriff's office.
Chase Dalton, 22, was holding a firearm in his hand and looking at his phone when Pickaway County Sheriff's Office deputies and other responding law enforcement arrived on Jan. 20 at a mobile home park in the 4800 block of Duvall Road in Madison Township, just south of Rickenbacker International Airport, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies were Responding to Reports of a Sexual Assault in Progress, Found Victim Locked inside a Room with Dalton Outside
Deputies responded to the area after receiving reports of a sexual assault in progress, the sheriff's office said. When deputies arrived at the location, they learned that the victim had locked herself inside a room of the home while Dalton was locked out.
Deputies also learned while on route that several shots had been fired and that one of the bullets struck a home, and that a man, later identified as Dalton, was trying to break into the home.
In addition to deputies from the sheriff's office, officers from the Ashville Police Department and South Bloomfield Police Department also arrived on scene and made contact with Dalton, who was at the door of a residence with a handgun in his right hand and a cell phone in his left, according to body camera footage. Both the deputy and other officers all had their weapons drawn while taking cover behind trees or on the side of the home.
A man who identified himself as Dalton's brother attempted to intervene before being ordered by a sheriff's deputy to move away in the interest of his safety.
Cops Pleaded with Dalton to Drop the Gun but He Ignored Them
For nearly 10 minutes, deputies and officers pleaded with Dalton to drop the gun and talk with them. Dalton ignored them for the most part while he texted and made a call on his phone, according to body camera footage.
"Let us try to help you Chase, but it starts with you putting the gun down," one of the officers says
Dalton continued to ignore the officers' requests and instead alluded to dying by suicide, asking officers if it was better if he shot himself or have the officers do it. At one point, he speaks to someone over the phone and says that he "raped the nanny," according to the body camera footage.
"Just shoot me in the head if you're going to shoot me," Dalton tells the officers.
Dalton was Shot After He Aimed His Gun at a Deputy
Moments later, Dalton raises his gun and aims it at one of the sheriff's deputies, shows the body camera footage, prompting the deputy and several other officers to open fire at Dalton.
In the aftermath of the shooting, they administered aid to Dalton until emergency crews arrived and rushed him to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
Richard Dalton, who identified himself as Chase's brother, said he didn't have much to add regarding the shooting but said that it was clear that Chase was "troubled." He also pushed back against a narrative that a child was the victim in the sexual assault and confirmed that the nanny was the victim.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the probe into the shooting. Neither the sheriff's office, the Ashville Police Department or the South Bloomfield Police Department have identified the officers involved in the shooting.
