The incident resulted in the death of 45-year-old Christopher Ford. Had Ford survived his injuries, he would have been arrested for Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

At 3:30 p.m., Sergeant Ray was sitting in his marked patrol vehicle in the parking lot of a stop station off West Beaver Street. An individual, later identified as Ford, approached the car. The sergeant exited the car and briefly spoke to Ford. Then, Ford pulled a gun out and held it by his side. The sergeant unholstered his JSO-issued gun and pointed it at Ford. Ford began walking backwards and then pointed his gun at the sergeant, firing off a round. The bullet missed Sergeant Ray but struck a nearby building. The sergeant returned fire, striking Ford. Ford fell to the ground, dropping the gun with which he had been armed.

Other officers inside the stop station heard the shooting and rushed outside. After officers handcuffed Ford, they provided emergency medical aid where he was pronounced deceased.

The State Attorney’s Office will independently review the incident to assess the legality of the officer’s actions. JSO will then conduct an internal review to ensure the officer acted within policy. Conclusions remain pending.

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Information, as it becomes available regarding this Officer-Involved Shooting, will be posted on JSO's Transparency page.

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