Ohio Officer Doesn’t Shoot Suicidal Man

Image from Ofc. Kidder’s body cam

Officer Jessie Kidder, of New Richmond, Ohio, deserves a medal of some sort. A double murder suspect led police on a chase, with an intent to commit suicide by cop. When he was stopped by Ofc. Kidder, he approached the officer aggressively, asking the officer to shoot him, and threatening the officer. There is no doubt that in light of the circumstances Kidder would have been justified in using deadly force to defend himself. But he demonstrated extreme restraint, and it turned out that no force was necessary, as the suspect surrendered when backup arrived.

The entire incident is documented on a body cam video. Amazingly, the camera was not provided by the department, but by Kidder himself (it was a gift from family). Had he needed to use deadly force, the video would have proven him justified. Fortunately, he was able to resolve the incident without killing the man. The video is on the WLWT website, and it is dramatic.

EDIT- New Richmond is in Ohio, not KY. Sorry.