Two Ohio police officers were shot and killed while responding to an emergency call during a possible domestic violence incident Saturday, authorities said.
Officers Anthony Morelli, 54, and Eric Joering, 39, were “immediately met with gunfire” when they arrived around noon at an apartment in Westerville, Police Chief Joe Morbitzer told reporters.
Morelli had served on the force for 29 years, while Joering had been with Westerville police for 16 years.
The officers responded after police received a 911 call and the caller hung up.
“These were two of the best we have. This was their calling, and they did it right,” Morbitzer said, choking back tears.
A procession was held in honour of the fallen officers.
The suspect, who was wounded and taken to a local hospital, is now in police custody.
Police did not immediately confirm the suspect’s condition.
The incident prompted President Donald Trump to share his condolences on Twitter.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the two police officers, their families, and everybody at the @WestervillePD,” he wrote.
Ohio Governor John Kasich, who calls Westerville his home town, said the officers’ “deaths are a terrible tragedy for my hometown of Westerville and all of Ohio.”
Officers Anthony Morelli and Eric Joering ... mourned
