Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 13 February 2018

Ohio man charged with providing gun that killed officers

yer identified by a federal call at Smith’s townhome
magistrate as Lawson’s at- Saturday when they were
torney told The Associated shot, police say. Smith was
Press he has not yet been also wounded and re-
retained. mained hospitalized.
More than two dozen po- Westerville police had
lice officers crowded into gone to Smith’s townhome
the hearing Monday, al- where he lived with his wife,
most all from Westerville in Candace, for domestic
suburban Columbus, the disputes three times since
department that lost two September, and neighbors
officers in Saturday’s shoot- said they frequently fought.
ing. Smith, 30, is charged with
Community tips, social me- two preliminary counts of
dia posts and a gun trace aggravated murder. He
led authorities to Lawson, could be indicted on for-
said Ronald Herndon, an mal charges including the
agent with the Bureau of possibility of a death sen-
Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco tence because the victims
and Explosives. were police officers killed in
As a felon convicted previ- the line of duty, said Frank-
ously of burglary, Smith was lin County Prosecutor Ron
prevented from having a O’Brien.
Columbus Police honor guard members salute the ambulance carrying the body of Westerville weapon. Municipal court records
Police officer Eric Joering during a procession transporting the bodies of Joering and Anthony Lawson and Smith were didn’t show an attorney for
Morelli from the Franklin County Coroners Office to the Hill and Moreland funeral homes in longtime friends, and Law- Smith. Smith was coopera-
Westerville, Ohio, Monday, Feb. 12, 2018. son knew Smith couldn’t tive, polite and personable
(Adam Cairns/The Columbus Dispatch via AP) have a weapon, authorities during meetings about his
By ANDREW HUGGINS Gerald Lawson, 30, of sub- in federal court Monday. said. A social media post case, attorney Mark Herder
Associated Press urban Cleveland, is ac- Lawson, his hands and feet by Lawson after Saturday’s told the AP on Monday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A cused of buying the hand- shackled, appeared briefly shooting “referenced the Smith and his wife owed
man was charged Mon- gun for shooting suspect in federal court Monday in long-standing friendship nearly $120,000 at the
day with providing the gun Quentin Smith last summer. a hearing where he was between the two,” accord- time of bankruptcy filing
used to kill two Ohio police- Smith gave Lawson the not required to enter a ing to the complaint by ATF last summer, records said.
men, as the officers’ bodies money to buy the gun plea. A bond hearing was agent Teresa Petit. They listed a gun among
were escorted in a proces- along with $100 for com- set for Wednesday. Westerville police officers their property, though not
sion to funeral homes in the pleting the transaction, ac- It was not clear whether a Eric Joering, 39, and An- the one allegedly used in
suburban community they cording to a criminal com- lawyer had been appoint- thony Morelli, 54, were re- the shootings, the couple’s
served. plaint filed against Lawson ed for Lawson. The law- sponding to a hang-up 911 bankruptcy filing said.q

Milwaukee prosecutors charge jail staff in inmate’s death

By IVAN MORENO evidence. An investigation conduct and misdemeanor he was having a mental seen by conservative fire-
Associated Press revealed 38-year-old Ter- obstructing an office. Pros- breakdown when police brand Sheriff David Clarke,
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Three rill Thomas had water to his ecutors say she failed to arrested him April 14, 2016, who resigned in August to
Milwaukee County jail cell shut off as punishment preserve surveillance video for shooting a man in front join a political action com-
staffers are facing crimi- for flooding it with a mat- showing the water turned of his parents’ house and mittee in support of Presi-
nal charges for their role in tress in April 2016. off and lied to police about later firing a gun inside a dent Donald Trump. Clarke
the dehydration death of Supervisor Kashka Meadors what the footage showed. casino. was not the target of the
a mentally ill inmate who and jail deputy James If convicted of both charg- “Our expectation when Mr. inquest because he wasn’t
spent a week without wa- Lee Ramsey-Guy are both es, Evans could face more Thomas was brought into directly involved in Thomas’
ter, prosecutors said Mon- charged with neglect of a than four years in prison. custody was that he would death.
day. resident of a penal facility, Meadors, Ramsey-Guy, be kept safe. The allega- Police detectives asked
The charges announced a felony that punishable by and Evans had their initial tions set forth in the crimi- Evans in a questionnaire
by the Milwaukee District up to 3 ½ years in prison. court appearances Mon- nal complaint document during their investigation
Attorney’s Office come al- Prosecutors say Meadors day, but they don’t have that that did not happen,” whether there was any
most a year after jurors rec- ordered Ramsey-Guy to attorneys listed and The As- District Attorney John Ch- documentation showing
ommended jail staff should shut off the water. sociated Press couldn’t find isholm said. whether the water was
be liable after prosecu- Jail Cmdr. Nancy Lee Evans working numbers for them. At the time of Thomas’ turned off the whole time
tors presented them with is charged with felony mis- Thomas’ family has said death, the jail was over- or intermittently. q