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Suspect in Youngstown firefighter shooting was upset cash burned, say cops
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Police said a suspect in the Monday evening wounding of a city firefighter was upset with firefighters before the shooting, because he thought they weren’t doing enough to save the burning Elm Street home.
Lt. Doug Bobovnyik of the detective bureau said one of the reasons Cameron Dyer, 30, of Ohio Avenue, was upset was because he had $10,000 in drug money stashed in the house, which is vacant. Bobovnyik said Dyer is a self-admitted drug dealer.
On Friday, Dyer was arraigned in municipal court on a probation violation for a misdemeanor drug charge. A warrant was also filed against him for disrupting public services, a fourth-degree felony, for an altercation before Lt. Paul Lutton, 46, of the fire department, was wounded.
Judge Robert Milich set bond for Dyer at $50,000 during his arraignment.
Bobovnyik said investigators want to wait until shell casings they found at the scene from an assault weapon are tested by the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation before deciding whether to charge Dyer with the shooting. Police are also analyzing other evidence as well, Bobovnyik said.
Bobovnyik said there is not another suspect or person of interest in the case.
Reports said Lutton was driving back to Station No. 7 about 11:25 p.m. Monday after leaving the fire on Elm Street when he was hit from a round by an assault rifle, which passed through the door of the fire truck he was driving.
Another firefighter inside the truck was grazed by a bullet. Lutton was treated at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.
Bobovnyik said Dyer was taken into custody Thursday afternoon after questioning by detectives. Firefighters at the scene said Dyer argued with them, then drove away. A short time after he drove away, Lutton was shot.
City Prosecutor Dana Lantz told the judge Dyer drove over the hoses of the firefighters several times and also got out of his car and yelled at them. When Dyer asked for a court-appointed lawyer claiming he had no money, Lantz said Dyer admitted to the police he is a high-volume drug dealer and he told police if someone can’t pay him in money, he takes property. Lantz also said he owns several properties throughout the city.
“He said he treats [drug dealing] as his business and brags about what a good businessman he is,” Lantz said.
Judge Milich did approve a court appointed lawyer for Dyer but subject to reimbursement.
Bobovnyik also said that Dyer freely admitted dealing drugs and confronting the firefighters. Bobovnyik said police were able to trace the car Dyer was driving to Dyer’s girlfriend, and when they questioned him, he admitted to being at the fire scene.
Dyer has a long criminal record of mostly drug offenses and was free on bond awaiting sentencing Dec. 16 in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on two felony possession of cocaine charges. Court records show attorneys in the case have agreed on a nine-month prison sentence for Dyer as well as the forfeiture of $831 he had when he was arrested.
During an arraignment for a 2013 domestic-violence arrest, Dyer also asked for a court-appointed attorney. When asked how he supported himself after telling Magistrate Anthony Sertick he did not have a job, he answered: “My woman pays the bills.” He added he did not work because he was a “stay-at-home dad.”