North Canton officials praise police, fire and dispatch after active-shooter response
Loading...
Summary
City leaders and emergency officials praised coordinated response after an active-shooter incident at an apartment complex; council heard timelines, agency partners and plans for internal review and future recognition.
On the morning of Oct. 9, North Canton police, fire, EMS and the city dispatch center joined regional partners to respond to an active-shooter incident at an apartment complex that left one person with multiple gunshot wounds and a suspect later taken into custody.
Council members and department leaders described a rapid, coordinated multi-agency response that included Canton Regional SWAT, the Stark County Sheriff—s Office, Jackson Township police, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and federal partners, according to remarks at a subsequent North Canton City Council meeting.
The dispatch account: Randy Curtis, speaking on behalf of the city—s dispatch communications center, said the incident began as a medical call and, after a second call reporting shots fired, dispatchers relayed information to responding officers and requested mutual aid. "What began as a call for medical assistance at an apartment at Versailles Gardens was quickly identified as an active shooter incident," Curtis said. He told council that dispatchers stayed calm while working to gather critical information and that mutual-aid agencies were activated within minutes.
Council discussion and timeline: Sam Finney, chairperson of the council—s Personnel and Safety Committee, summarized timestamps from the response that were given during the meeting: first 911 call at 8:50 a.m.; a second call reporting gunfire at 8:52 a.m.; first officer arrival at 8:55 a.m.; the wounded victim located at 9:02 a.m.; renewed gunfire at 9:06 a.m., which turned the scene into a hot zone; SWAT activation at 9:07 a.m.; and a SWAT breach of the suspect—s apartment at 10:46 a.m., with the suspect taken into custody about 10:48 a.m.
Officials credited training and preparation for the outcome. Chief Kemp (identified in the meeting as the police chief) said officers and dispatch rose to their training. "During the event, our police and firefighters met well, demonstrated true heroism," he said, and asked the public to keep the victim and family in their prayers. Assistant Chief Sheffler and other fire and EMS leaders described staging, triage readiness and mutual-aid coordination, including preparation for multiple casualties.
Named personnel and investigation: Council and staff named several first responders involved in the initial response: Officer Adam Kanam, Officer Mike Boltz and Sergeant Cody Hollinger, as well as medics such as Eli Bosler. The meeting also noted that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was assisting local detectives in processing the scene and evidence.
Next steps and recognition: Council members said the city will conduct internal after-action reviews and self-evaluation to identify training and planning improvements. Several council members said they plan a future, more formal recognition of the individuals and units who responded. "In the coming weeks, internally, we'll self evaluate our response, recognize the heroic acts witnessed, and identify areas for further training and planning," Curtis said.
The meeting record does not state charges against the suspect or the current medical condition of the injured person beyond remarks that the victim was transported for further care and underwent surgery.
