Two police officers have been fatally shot after responding to a potential domestic situation in Ohio this afternoon. The officers were shot as they entered an apartment responding to a 911 call that ended with a hang-up.
Officers Anthony Morelli, 39, and Eric Joering, 54, were fired upon when they arrived at the scene in Westerville, Ohio, fifteen miles north of Columbus, authorities said. Joering was killed at the scene. Morelli died in surgery at Ohio State University Medical Center. The suspect in the shooting was wounded and taken to a nearby hospital.
President Trump tweeted his condolences today upon learning of the deaths.
My thoughts and prayers are with the two police officers, their families, and everybody at the @WestervillePD. https://t.co/AoingY77Ky
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2018
Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer described to the two officers as being among the best in his department. “This was their calling and they did it right. They knew how to do policing the right way,” he said. “They were pillars in our department.”