Southington man, 76, died from multiple gunshot wounds, coroner says

Staff report

WARREN

The Trumbull County coroner has ruled that Charles D. Crandall, 76, who was killed in an apparent gunfight with Trumbull County sheriff’s deputies, died of multiple gunshot wounds. His death was ruled a homicide.

Crandall, who lived alone at 2625 Phalanx Mills Herner Road in Southington, died when deputies and two Braceville Township police officers responded to Crandall’s home at 12:07 p.m. Tuesday.

Sheriff Thomas Altiere said deputies Dario Poledica and Dallas Young shot and killed Crandall after Crandall fired at them. The Braceville officers did not fire, Altiere said.

Officers were called to the home in a 911 call from James Kovar, who lives next door to Crandall and said he pulled into Crandall’s driveway to take him to the bank, but Crandall started firing a gun at him.

Kovar said he didn’t know why Crandall fired at him, but one of the shots went through the driver’s door. He was not injured.

Jill Del Greco, public information officer with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, which is investigating the matter, said Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation personnel have determined that Kovar’s vehicle was struck by three bullets.

At least one deputy fired at Crandall, but BCI collected the guns of the deputies and the Braceville officers for analysis to determine for certain if more than one fired, Del Greco said.