Trooper shoots, kills Celina man

CELINA - A 22-year-old man - who reportedly was under the influence of alcohol - was fatally shot early Sunday morning on Main Street after he allegedly pointed a handgun at a state trooper.

Justin D. McHenry, of Celina and a 2012 Coldwater High School graduate, was taken by squad to Mercer County Community Hospital, Coldwater, and later by CareFlight helicopter to St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima, where he died.

Trooper Brandon Chaney, a three-year veteran of the Wapakoneta post who reportedly fired his weapon at McHenry, was not injured.

The shooting occurred on the street between the Celina Administration Building and city hall about 1:30 a.m. The fatal incident is under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol with assistance from the Celina Police Department.

According to Lt. Craig Cvetan of the OSHP, Chaney was sitting in his northbound cruiser completing paperwork from a recent drunken driving arrest when McHenry parked his 1991 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck across the street in front of the post office and approached the trooper on foot.

McHenry "immediately became confrontational with the trooper, ordering him out of his vehicle," Cvetan said.

Shortly after Chaney exited his vehicle, McHenry brandished a 9 mm handgun and pointed it at the officer, according to a news release. A scuffle ensued as the trooper unsuccessfully attempted to disarm McHenry, Cvetan said.

"The trooper broke contact with the man and shots were fired. The suspect was struck by rounds from the trooper's handgun," the release stated.

Chaney and nearby Celina police officers who responded to the sound of gunshots provided first aid to McHenry until a squad arrived, officials said.

Cvetan said it's not been determined if McHenry fired any shots. At least four bullets pierced the front of the fire department building, officials said.

Authorities could not state whether McHenry had a concealed-carry permit or if he owned the weapon in his possession.

Cvetan said it doesn't appear Chaney had any contact with McHenry before the Sunday morning shooting.

"We haven't found any kind of relationship between the trooper and this man," he said. "It seems he randomly selected the trooper. ... We don't know what his intentions were."

Cvetan said patrol investigators were "provided with evidence that McHenry had been consuming alcohol prior to the incident occurring."

"We will be looking to any chemical testing done by the coroner's office to offer insight into what if anything McHenry was under the influence of," he said.

According to Celina Municipal Court records, an alcohol/drug assessment was ordered in June for McHenry in a case related to his arrest in November 2014 for failure to maintain control of a vehicle while under the influence.

McHenry since 2011 has been convicted of assault, underage possession/consumption, obstructing official business, operating a vehicle while under the influence, breath/alcohol, failure to stay in marked lanes and speeding, according to court records.

Two of the cases involving drunken driving were filed against McHenry by state troopers, records showed.

According to a family member who asked not to be identified, McHenry has had various problems since his mother died eight years ago.

McHenry was employed the past six months as an installer at Enyart Flooring in Coldwater, according to owner Mark Enyart.

"He was a great worker, a hard worker, one of the best I've had. We loved him," he said. "He was a nice young man and I was really proud of him. He'll be greatly missed. This is a shocker."

Authorities would not say if any witnesses saw the incident. The OSHP will use all video surveillance cameras - including those on the street and buildings in the downtown area - to complete their investigation, Cvetan said.

Chaney was not wearing a body camera and there is no dash-cam video from the cruiser, he added.

Lt. Scott Carrico of the Wapakoneta post of the OSHP told The Daily Standard today that as a matter of policy Chaney is on temporary administrative leave. He will be assessed before returning to work, he added.

"He's physically doing fine," Carrico said. "But he's fighting a lot of emotions as a result of this. It will be awhile. You just don't return back to work right away."

Cvetan said support systems are in place for officers involved in incidents of this nature.

"This support system was activated shortly after the incident occurred," he said. "We will ensure the trooper and his family have the support they need."

Carrico said no troopers at the post had shot and/or killed anyone since he had taken over as commander in 1990.