Tests do not identify which officer fired fatal gunshots at Southington man

Staff report

WARREN

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was unable to positively identify which gun fired by two deputies with the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office killed a Southington man this past summer.

The bullets were all the same kind and were too badly damaged to allow identification of the gun from which they were fired, according to a BCI report.

The prosecutor’s office on Monday released a body-camera video from a Braceville Township police officer and a statement clearing two deputies and two Braceville police officers of any wrongdoing in the July 14 death of Charles D. Crandall, 76, of 2749 Phalanx Mills Road.

But the report did not say who fired the fatal shots. Officers fired five shots – three by Deputy Dario Poledica and two by Deputy Dallas Young.

The statement clears both deputies of any wrongdoing but specifically says of Poledica that he “acted in self-defense.”

Chris Becker, an assistant county prosecutor, said Monday he thinks the three shots that hit Crandall were fired by Poledica.

Crandall died after being hit by three shots after police were called to his house by the neighbor, who said Crandall fired a gun at him three times as he sat in his truck in Crandall’s driveway, waiting to take Crandall to town to run errands.

Officers fired at Crandall after Crandall came to his door with a handgun and fired it once, the statement said.

Officers could be heard giving numerous commands to Crandall to put down his weapon before the gunfire started.