OSHP: Suspect killed in Dover pointed weapon at officers before they shot him
DOVER (WJER) (May 3, 2024) – The State Highway Patrol provided the following press release about Friday morning’s fatal officer-involved shooting:
DOVER – The New Philadelphia Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, along with the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office, was involved in a shooting Friday morning following a traffic stop that lasted several hours after a suspect brandished a weapon.
The incident occurred on May 3 at 1:42 a.m. on Interstate 77, near state Route 80, in Dover. Troopers stopped to assist with a disabled 1994 red Chevrolet pick-up
truck that was partially in the roadway.
Upon contact with the driver, Kendell Floyd Woodard, 34, Dayton, law enforcement observed concerning behaviors regarding Woodard’s welfare. Over several hours, law enforcement, Tuscarawas County Crisis Intervention Team and EMS attempted to remove him from the truck to seek medical attention. During that time, troopers observed a weapon behind his back.
The negotiations were unsuccessful. The suspect pointed the weapon at law enforcement, which resulted in an officer-involved shooting. The weapon was still in Woodard’s hand when it was recovered. Woodard was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The incident is under investigation by the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Troopers were assisted on scene by the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office and Dover EMS.