2 people died in an officer-involved shooting after a confrontation

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (AP) — Law enforcement in Ohio shot and killed two men after a nine-hour standoff over the weekend, authorities said.

Knox County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of shots fired around 11:30 p.m. Friday, and authorities asked residents to shelter in place during the standoff. Officials said negotiators were trying to bring the standoff to a peaceful end.

Capt. Jay Schaefer told reporters around 10 a.m. Saturday that the suspects had been “mobile” about an hour earlier in a flatbed vehicle, also known as a utility vehicle or recreational SUV.

“As law enforcement attempted to stop the suspects, an officer-involved shooting occurred,” Schaeffer said. “One person was safely removed before the shooting. After the shooting, another one was safely taken away.”

Emily Morrison, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, confirmed that both suspects died Saturday, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Their names and other information about them — or the two other people involved — were not immediately released. None of the officers were injured.

Sergeant Brice Nihiser of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the suspects fired at the state patrol helicopter but missed it, the Columbus Dispatch reported. He said investigators are trying to determine how many shots were fired during the standoff and where.

“Every time we get shot at, it definitely escalates the situation,” Nihiser told the newspaper.

Schaeffer said he did not know what agency the firing officer or officers were with. Several agencies assisted during the standoff, including the Highway Patrol and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which will be investigating.

Steve Irwin, a spokesman for the state attorney general’s office, which oversees the bureau, declined to comment Sunday, saying the investigation was still in its early stages, the Columbus Dispatch reported.