2 hurt in Fort Recovery drug-deal shooting

FORT RECOVERY - Two people were shot and eight people taken into custody after a drug deal ended in gunfire Thursday night in Fort Recovery, Mercer County Jeff Grey said.

Julien Kocak, 19, Celina, was treated for a gunshot wound and released from Lima Memorial Hospital, Grey said at a Friday afternoon news conference. Kocak was in the Mercer County jail as of Friday afternoon.

A 16-year-old Celina boy was still being treated at Lima Memorial Friday afternoon for a gunshot wound and was to be taken into custody once he is cleared medically, Grey said.

"It's frustrating and disheartening to see some of the things happening in the community with drugs. We've seen a lot of problems with it. Last night was an escalation," Grey said.

A drug deal reportedly involving a pound of marijuana was set to take place in Ambassador Park on the northwest edge of Fort Recovery, Grey said.

"The intended recipients of the drugs, when they set it up, had no intention of paying for the drugs," he explained.

Six adults and two minors reportedly overpowered the intended seller, a 17-year-old Fort Recovery boy, and took the drugs when he arrived at the park, Grey said. The office does no disclose the names of minors.

The seller pulled out a small-caliber firearm and fired multiple rounds, hitting Kocak and the teen, Grey said.

The sheriff's office received a call at 8:39 p.m. Thursday from JTDM about two people being treated for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, the sheriff said.

"The original story we were told was that they were walking by the lighthouse over by the lake in Celina and a car drove by and shot them," Grey said. "That was the information we got from the hospital."   

Celina police officers went to the hospital and lighthouse to investigate.

"During their initial investigation they found out that the incident actually occurred in Ambassador Park, which is inside the village limits of Fort Recovery," Grey said.

The sheriff's office contacted Fort Recovery police, and chief Jared Laux asked Grey's office to lead the investigation.

"That was my choice to ask them. They don't just come in and take over investigations. That was something as being chief that made that decision with only being a two-person department," Laux said.

Celina police Thursday night arrested Kody Chilcoat, 19, Brandon Riley, 18, Samantha Ringo, 18, Morgan Perry, 18, and Julien Kocak, 19, all of Celina, for robbery, a second-degree felony, and obstructing official business, a fifth-degree felony, Grey said. Celina police also arrested Dominic Disalvo, 18, Celina, and took a 14-year-old female from Rockford into custody for robbery, a second-degree felony.

All were taken into custody in Celina, he added.

The Fort Recovery teen was taken into custody in Darke County this morning by Mercer and Darke county sheriff's deputies, Grey said.

The firearm believed to have been used in the incident was recovered by the Darke County deputies, Grey added.

Minors involved in the incident are being detained at undisclosed state juvenile detention facilities, Grey said, adding he believes everyone involved has been arrested but is still following up on a few leads.  

The sheriff called the investigation an example of good police work and cooperation among the Mercer County Sheriff's Office, Fort Recovery police, Celina police, Darke County Sheriff's Office and prosecutors in Mercer and Darke counties.

"It's amazing to me how all the agencies pool together and work together," he said.

Authorities also seized three vehicles. A 2002 Chevrolet Malibu was driven from Celina to Fort Recovery for the drug deal, Grey said.

"That vehicle has some damage to it, some bullet holes in it. I believe the back window was shot out," he said.

A 1997 Dodge Dakota used by the seller and a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt used to transport the injured to St. Marys were also seized, Grey said.

The office does not release the names of minors and all adults arrested are in the Mercer County jail, he said.

Grey did not disclose where the vehicles were found and said the reported marijuana has not been recovered.