Bluffton, Ohio, Cop Killed While Trying to Stop Car During High-Speed Chase

A Bluffton, Ohio, police officer was struck and killed by a car Thursday morning while trying to stop the vehicle as it was fleeing police on an interstate.

Officer Dominic Francis was attempting to put stop strips on I-75 when a car containing three suspects hit him, Sergeant Brice Nihiser of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said during a news conference, TV station WTOL reported.

Reaction to the officer's death was emotional in Bluffton. Police Chief Ryan Burkholder, who appeared to be close to tears during the conference, described Francis as someone with a "heart of gold" who will be greatly missed.

In addition to serving as a police officer, he was a teacher, sports coach, bus driver and "jack-of-all-trades," the chief said. "This community lost a hero."

Appearing at the news conference, Bluffton Mayor Richard Johnson also praised the officer, according to WTOL. "Obviously, this is a very sad day for not only the residents of Bluffton, [Francis'] family, but the brotherhood of law enforcement," he said. "We'd like to thank the family, let them know that the village will do everything we can to help the family out. We send our condolences to all those involved."

The pursuit and crash took place in the early-morning hours on Thursday, Nihiser said during the news conference. Three suspects were inside the vehicle that struck and killed Francis on the interstate. After the crash, they exited the vehicle and fled on foot.

All three suspects have since been apprehended by law enforcement, WTOL reported. Earlier in the day, police were able to detain two of them and were searching for the third.

Nihiser said that authorities were not yet releasing the names of the suspects. He stressed that the law enforcement agencies involved were "utilizing every resource available" to them in their investigation.

"There's nobody that isn't helping out right now to hopefully bring some justice to the situation," he said.

Newsweek reached out to the Ohio State Highway Patrol for updates on the case and comments but did not hear back before publication.

The case is one of several deadly incidents with vehicles that have occurred in recent days across the country. On Monday, a large pileup involving an estimated 80 vehicles on a Pennsylvania highway led to six deaths. At least two dozen other people were hospitalized after the crash, according to Pennsylvania state police.

On Wednesday, police confirmed that a homeless man died after being hit by a car while picking up change at a Burger King drive-through in Houston.

Also on Wednesday, a Florida woman allegedly stabbed a police deputy in the neck while he was trying to help her following a car crash, police said. The officer, 22-year-old Cody Colangelo, survived the attack, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office.

Update 3/31/22, 2:25 p.m. ET: This story was updated with the news that all three suspects in the case were apprehended by police.