Off duty cop shoots & kills suspected robber.

I know nothing about this but what I just saw on the 6 p.m. news. But it is always suspicious to me when people are out just "walking about" at 2:30 a.m. What is out there at that time of days except trouble.

Not a bad neighborhood, so it is not unreasonable to be out walking around on a nice night. Maybe the cop just got off work, who knows?

What is more surprising, to me, is that there was an armed robbery taking place in that neighborhood.

Good riddance. Since this punk criminal was still young, the off-duty officer also has likely saved Toledo, Lucas County, and the state of Ohio, several millions of dollars. Also, a huge bonus for the rest of us to have one less dangerous criminal erased from our community.

Johnny, that neighborhood isn't really that nice like it was even a decade ago, and especially after dark.

Jackie, in my opinion, that off-duty officer and his friend had every right to be walking about at 2:30 a.m. or at any other time.

It's not likely that they were out for a stroll at that time.

The corner of the altercation is just south of Sylvania. I suppose they could have come from Tropics or Bigz . . .

If they were coming from Tropics or Bigz, he shouldn't have been carrying a firearm, correct? Isn't CCW in a bar a big no-no?

If anybody DEMANDS ANYTHING at gunpoint you have my complete permission to hose them....regardless of the time of day I might add.

A web search showed that CCW is OK in a licensed liquor facility so long as the carrier doesn't drink there and isn't under the influence upon arrival. ORC 2923.121,

That neighborhood is horrid. Less than 3 blocks away the mini mart is always crowded with thugs and "questionable" crowds that even I wouldn't enter unless I wanted trouble.
Too bad it wasn't a gernade that he used.

Also, I agree that "just walking at 2:30 am" is crap. Looks like trouble went looking for company and found some.

My boyfriend is a 2nd shift employee and frequently takes a walk after he gets home and eats dinner. Just because someone operates on a different schedule doesn't mean he's looking for trouble.

I agree with the above posters that people walking around late night are not necessarily looking for trouble. For people who work afternoons/midnights, or insomniacs, or just night owls, 2:30 am is "normal." Plenty of people who have no interest in nefarious activities will venture out at hours the rest of us might find strange. On the nights when insomnia become my companion, I sometimes take a short walk to clear my head.

That being said: when walking around late night, trouble sometimes finds you. Be careful out there.

Toledo needs less cameras and more off-duty cops walking around. In fact, let's get really crazy and put more on-duty cops on the street too.

Update:

The officer who shot the thug is not facing any charges at this time but is on a automatic 3 day paid leave pending the investigation, which happens anytime an off duty officer is involved in a shooting.

http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/18861969/fatal-robbery-attempt-of-an-off-duty-police-officer

Ok nightwalkers - - - Even though I've never done anything at 2:30 am that didn't involve alcohol, I'm willing to accept that I'm the exception to the rule and many are out walking to relax or clear their head. I'll stretch my acceptance to cover friends doing this in pairs.

We don't know how many shots were fired, but the "suspect" was hit 6 times. all this happened within minutes of the time that bars stop serving alcohol.

It's the schedule that makes me think there's more to the story.

Off duty cop and ccw are two completely different sets of rules.

I'm willing to bet any of those "night time walkers" don't do it in that neighborhood.

And I'm willing to bet you might be surprised at just what people feel comfortable doing in their own neighborhoods.

He is not out of the woods yet. The alleged robber was shot 6 times? Not good.

Remember the poor clerk from North Toledo. He is being prosecuted for using "excessive force." Seems to me if it can be proven that one shot could have disabled the alleged robber, then 6 means excessive force.

Our Walbridge police friend could be looking at criminal charges as well as civil charges from the family of the victim.

I doubt it. The problem with the Clerk is that he left the store chasing the other perp then came back and shot the first perp a few more times in the head, chest, and extremities. As soon as the Clerk left that store his right to self-Defense was gone.

http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/17007425/carryout-clerk-faces-jail-time-for-shooting-robber?clienttype=printable

Like it says in that story it's not how many shots are fired it's in what order they come. For example, if I someone pulls a gun on me and I get away be come back with a gun of my own and shoot the person I would probably have a hard time proving self defense.

We were always taught you shoot until the threat is gone and you can call law enforcement. That could be 1 shot or a whole magazine depends on the situation. Look at these people taking bath salts. It's turning them zombie like. You aren't going to disable them with one shot.

Jimavolt, if they were walking, both Bigz and Tropics are too far away from Sylvania and Upton. However, there are two bars at the corner of Upton and Sylvania and also a small bar on Upton near Sylvania.

Gus County's former place is now an Irish Bar and it is quite busy.

The other at that intersection is a former gas station, tacky, seedy, and I doubt a Walbridge cop would be hanging out there. Another very small bar is on Upton near Berkshire...I think it used to be called Jungle Bar.

Another nearby bar, The Upton bar, South of Berdan, my memory says near Mansfield. Since reopening, it has a mostly younger and black clientele. I doubt any off-duty cops hang out there either. There was a shooting incident at that place...maybe 6-12 months ago.

Who knows if they were at a bar at all, but of course it does cross our minds when thinking about a weekend night @ 2:30 a.m.

Unfortunately, if six hits and 4 head shots are confirmed, I definitely don't think we've heard the last of this incident.

"If anybody DEMANDS ANYTHING at gunpoint you have my complete permission to hose them....regardless of the time of day I might add."

I wholeheartedly agree!

"Plenty of people who have no interest in nefarious activities will venture out at hours the rest of us might find strange."

There's a lot of night owls out there. It's nothing to be out at 2-3 a.m. for a drive to the store for coffee cream or cereal if you're usually up at that hour. But as Historymike said, you have to be careful out there.

The number of shots is largely irrelevant unless you're still firing away after the guy's laying dead on the ground. You just need to be able to articulate that you fired until the aggression (bad guy's actions) stopped. "I stopped firing after he dropped his gun and fell to the ground."

I doubt it. The problem with the Clerk is that he left the store chasing the other perp then came back and shot the first perp a few more times in the head, chest, and extremities. As soon as the Clerk left that store his right to self-Defense was gone.

http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/17007425/carryout-clerk-faces-jail-time-for-shooting-robber?clienttype=printable

The facts in that story are wrong.

what facts are those??

"And I'm willing to bet you might be surprised at just what people feel comfortable doing in their own neighborhoods"

If you feel "comfortable" walking at 2:30am in that neighborhood, or one like it, I'll watch for your name in the obits.

For well over a year and a half a vigil was placed at a little stop light on the corner of Bancroft and Westwood Avenue by Maxwell’s Brew where Casey Bucher was murdered around 8pm one evening. The attacker, Lawrence James stabbed him – most likely very quickly and surprisingly. As the months wore on the vigil on the corner became more and more weathered. I noticed this evening that it is completely gone.

We do not have all the facts in the case about the off duty officer. If this was a case where he was approached by an armed criminal than I would express my gratitude and support for Mr. Morland ; the officer who may have had to make a spit second decision to use deadly force to save his own life, regardless of what time of day it was. I do not know Mr. Morland’s family situation but I assume he has parents, he may married, he may have children. From my understanding people who are put in a position to defend their lives and have to use deadly force go through a lot of soul searching and pain for a long time, maybe for the rest of his life.

If the facts of the case prove that officer Morland was indeed justified the community as a whole should be thankful that a vigil for an innocent victim is not placed where this incident occurred and that Travis Johnson, a person with previous run ins with the law will no longer be victimizing innocent citizens at gunpoint in our city.

You need to get outside of your little bubble from time to time.

Did anyone notice that the deceased was arrested in April of this year for an armed robbery in Perrysburg?

Toledoan Christopher Dolt, 22, his father, John Dolt, 49, address unknown, and Toledoan Travis Johnson, 21, were charged for the April 3 robbery of two victims outside the Tuesday Morning store, 142 E. South Boundary St., Perrysburg police said. Two of the suspects had guns and robbed the victims of a bank deposit, said Deputy Chief Mike Gilmore.

Article

Thank you for the research, mom2.

The time of day (or night) it happened is beside the point.

Maybe he was walking home from the bar, maybe he's been working night shifts and is still operating on that schedule. Either way it's irrelevant.

I can't completely take credit for the research - I saw someone mention the arrest on another media comment site, and I just retrieved a source article to link here. :)

I am grateful there is one less thug in our city. I grew up not to far from that neighborhood (near Douglas) and still live not to far (near Secor) from it. My mom still lives there and I worry about her safety all the time. She recently had a security system put in after she saw 2 black kids sitting in her driveway eyeing her garage. An hour later they were at her front door asking if her husband was home (dad is deceased). She did not relay that info, but asked why they wanted him, they told her their bike (it was a girl bike)had a flat tire. She could see it was not flat. She told them to take it down to the gas station 1 block away but in the meantime my brother who was visiting her went out to take a look (there was nothing wrong with the bike). A few days later, they were back, asking again if her husband was home (she slammed the door on them).

In my neighborhood, located between Douglas and Secor ( or between El Camino/BigZ and Six Pack/Club Soda -not to mention The 19th Hole, Twin Oaks, and all the Tatoo joints)it is NOTHING to see people walking down Sylvania Ave. from one place to another (or home!). It has gotten worse sine El Camino and BigZ opened. One time we had a girl ringing our doorbell and several of our neighbors' as well, screaming for help, that someone was after her. We called the police (as did the others) but she took off running before we or the police could get to her. My next door neighbor has had someone intoxicated trying to get into his house (he thinks they were just so drunk, they had the wrong house/street). Oh, and how could I forget Chuck's on Monroe St. Our street is used as a "shortcut" to get from Chuck's to Sylvania Ave. Our minivan has been clipped. The car across the street was hit dead on so hard a few weeks ago, it was pushed 1 1/2 house lengths away. My husband and I are night owls, you'd be surprised at all that goes on after midnight....

Mom2, thanks for posting the added information about the dead criminal. He finally received what he deserved. The rest of us are safer with him dead. The off-duty cop deserves praise for his actions.

I don't know if he was convicted, but why is someone who commits armed robbery 2 months ago walking the streets?

llz, hopefully your mother owns a firearm and knows how to use it.

I don't know if he was convicted, but why is someone who commits armed robbery 2 months ago walking the streets?

The Blade article from the armed robbery stated that he was "being held in lieu of $75,000 bond on one count of aggravated robbery."

Perhaps someone posted the bond for him?

The charges were in Wood County - I don't know if they have an online docket search similar to Lucas County?

Hmmn...

It would appear that 6 years ago, there was a 15-year old Travis Johnson who was charged with aggravated robbery as an adult.

The ages line up. Could it be the same young man?

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2006/06/16/Adult-status-sought-for-Wood-County-teen-suspect.html

...why is someone who commits armed robbery 2 months ago walking the streets?

http://www.toledoohiobailbonds.com/
http://www.youwalkbailbondagency.com/toledo.html
http://www.budgetbailbondagency.com/index_files/Dwain_Payton_Bail_Bond_Agent_for_Budget_Bail_Bond_Toledo.htm
http://www.bailzoom.com/ohio-bail-bonds/lucas-county/toledo/
http://www.bailtoledo.com/

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What always killed me about the show "Dog The Bounty Hunter" were the people who thought that guy was some sort of "law & order" dude going after the bad guys. Shit, he was the one bailing the bad guys out of prison!!!

As if I didn't know about bond agencies...

Thanks for the mid-afternoon Monday humor.

So did Dog post up the 10% or the entire 75k to bail Travis out of jail in April?

As if I didn't know about bond agencies...

That's all it was... :) Ease off the gas a little...

So did Dog post up the 10% or the entire 75k to bail Travis out of jail in April?

I thought the way it works is if your bail is $75,000, someone has to pony up a minimum of 10% ($7,500 in this case) and the bond agent posts the rest. If you have "run" before, I'd bet that minimum % is a lot higher.

If you (the accused) do everything you are supposed to do (i.e. don't be a fugitive), the 10% or some portion of it becomes your "fee" to the bond agent. This is for the risk the agent assumes, betting on you not to skip town and become a fugitive, thereby making the bond agent liable for the entire bond (in this case $75,000).

Quite motivating for the bond agent to hunt any miscreants down...and probably not gently either.

OHT, I thought it was funny, nothing more. I hang out with 2 guys in that line of work, and they do whatever to find people. The main reason I got my ccw was to ride along when they needed an extra body for less dangerous jobs.

Actually there was no 10% on his 75,000 bond, so someone would have had to come up with the whole 75,000.

http://www.perrysburgcourt.com/cgi-bin/mdocket.cgi?pre=CRA&num=1200479&sub=&type=CR&acc=

Looks like he was also charged with tampering with evidence

http://www.perrysburgcourt.com/cgi-bin/mcaseno.cgi?pre=CRA&num=1200498&sub=&type=CR&acc=

http://www.perrysburgcourt.com/cgi-bin/mdocket.cgi?pre=CRA&num=1200498&sub=&type=CR&acc=

liz

Let's hope the new security system and lock door policy works for your mother's safety in her home.

Its all a little odd. Out at that time of night walking. Six shots. But I'll accept that there can be reasonable explanations for each event. Having a thug threaten you with a gun certainly justifies reacting with equal and deadly force. Swift justice is rare these days. If the off duty cop can sleep with it at night (and I hope he can) then who am I to judge?

Jackie

Thanks! She jokes about having a hatchet next to her bed, but it's really just a ballbat!

Here's the latest:
Investigations into shooting by off-duty officer being completed

Officer Morland was walking with a friend to the friend’s home about 2:30 a.m. Saturday when they were confronted by Travis K. Johnson, 21, who was armed with a gun and wanted to rob the pair, police said.

I wonder if the friend was male or female. The news doesn't say and doesn't publish a name. I wonder if they were walking because both were too hammered to drive, and Officer Morland being an Officer and all, and so being law abiding by definition knew that he shouldn't drive because he was one shot over the line.

If Officer Morland were a mere civilian, I think the mystery friend would have her name published.

Officer Morland shot Johnson six times in the chest, right arm, buttocks, and back, the coroner’s office has said.

I have no trouble with the alleged perpetrator being shot in the back, but if this were a civilian doing the shooting I think The Blade would phrase things a little differently.

When asked about the wounds, Toledo police Sgt. Joe Heffernan said that it’s likely Johnson turned his body when the officer opened fire.

Apparently Sgt. Heffernan has no trouble with the way the alleged perpetrator was facing either.

If I ever kill an armed robber, I hope I'm accorded the same courtesy by The Blade that Officer Morland was.

"If I ever kill an armed robber, I hope I'm accorded the same courtesy by The Blade that Officer Morland was."

Well said

seriously

Great example for everyone how changing just a few words in that story goes from supporting to criticizing people in the news.

I wonder if they were walking because both were too hammered to drive, and Officer Morland being an Officer and all, and so being law abiding by definition knew that he shouldn't drive because he was one shot over the line.

If Officer Morland were a mere civilian, I think the mystery friend would have her name published. - MJ

If Officer Morland was a civi he would have not been able to defend himself with a firearm because as soon as you sniff booze you lose the right to defend yourself in Ohio.