County names shooter

Sergeant killed ex-police officer in St. Marys stop

By BOB BLAKE

WAPAKONETA — The deputy who shot and killed a former St. Marys policeman following a brief, slow-speed pursuit through St. Marys last month is a veteran officer with more than seven years on the force, Auglaize County Sheriff Al Solomon said Friday.

Solomon identified Sgt. Brian Little, a former member of the Cincinnati Police Department, as the deputy who fired the shots that killed Dennis R. Slone, 42, of Waynesfield. Slone was shot Jan. 28 at the Marathon station near the corner of South and Main streets in St. Marys after he exited his vehicle with a gun, officials said.

On Friday, Solomon released additional information regarding the incident.

Solomon said other officers and deputies were present during the incident, but no one else fired shots.

Little was in the first cruiser behind Slone in the slow-speed pursuit, Solomon said. As Slone exited his vehicle with a handgun, Little fired three shots into Slone. Slone fell, and no other shots were fired, Solomon said.

Slone was given immediate medical attention at the scene and taken to Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Solomon said.

Little remains on paid administrative leave until all investigations, including an internal review, are completed, Solomon said. An independent investigation by special agents of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation continues, a spokeswoman said Friday.

“The case is still under investigation,” Lisa Peterson Hackley, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, said. “Once it’s done it will be released to the sheriff and prosecutor.”

Auglaize County Prosecutor Edwin Pierce asked for a special prosecutor to handle the review of the investigation. Hackley previously said that two attorneys from the state attorney general’s office — Paul Scarsella and Kenneth Egbert — have been appointed as special prosecutors in the case.

Officials previously said Slone worked for the St. Marys Police Department from 1995 to 1997 but never made it out of his probation period and was let go.

According to Slone’s obituary, he was retired from Airstream of Jackson Center and was a member of the Wayne Township Volunteer Fire Department for 20 years, serving as a lieutenant. He was also an auxiliary officer for the Wapakoneta Police Department. Slone was a 1987 graduate of Waynesfield Goshen High School and a U.S. Army veteran.

Published in The Lima News: Feb. 19, 2011