Frank Lewis

PDT Staff Writer

A shooting incident in Lawrence County has resulted in the death of the assailant.

Around 2:57 p.m. Sunday, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a domestic dispute at 2718 County Road 181, in Ironton. Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless said the caller advised that the suspect was driving by the residence firing shots from an unknown type of gun. He said the caller advised that the suspect was driving a champagne colored Ford Ranger pickup truck.

Later it was discovered that the assailant was Roger W. Crisp, 43, of 44 Campground Rd., Waterloo, Ohio, and that he had been in an argument with his daughter for the past several days. And when he traveled to her residence Sunday, he began to fire random shots with a .22 caliber revolver.

Officers from the Sheriff’s Office, Ironton Police, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Coal Grove Police Department and the South Point Police Department responded to the call. As officers approached, the Coal Grove officer spotted the suspect driving on County Road 181 and signaled for him to stop. The suspect reportedly refused and continued until finally stopping at the driveway of the residence where the dispute had been reported. After he was confronted by law enforcement officers, he reportedly stopped his pickup truck and fired two more shots with the revolver. One of those shots struck the house trailer lodging in the wall without passing through. The second shot struck the windshield of a vehicle parked in the driveway.

Crisp then reportedly retrieved a 270 caliber bolt action Mossberg rifle and fired three shots toward a Coal Grove police cruiser, which was parked a short distance behind the pickup truck. One of those rounds struck the cruiser and lodged in the hood. Crisp then got back into his pickup and would not respond to officers as they attempted to communicate with him.

Lawless said Crisp then turned the 22 caliber revolver on himself and fired two shots into his chest. The Lawrence County Coroner’s Office pronounced Crisp dead at the scene. His body was to be sent to Franklin County for an autopsy.

Lawless said no law enforcement personnel discharged any weapon and no one other than the suspect was injured. He said the situation remains under investigation.

Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 252, or at flewis@civitasmedia.com