SAVE AMERICA, KILL A COP TODAY
DEATH TO COPS, KILL THEM ALL
http://www.ohio.com/news/25206084.html'
TWINSBURG: Twinsburg police are providing few details about the shooting
death early Sunday of a popular officer.
Joshua T. Miktarian, 33, of Tallmadge, an 11-year veteran of the Twinsburg
department who also played guitar in a rock band and owned a pizza shop,
was
shot to death during what police described as a routine traffic check
about
2 a.m. Sunday.
Ashford Thompson, 23, of Twinsburg, was arrested by Bedford Heights police
less than an hour later at a home on Cambridge Road. He was taken to the
Summit County Jail and is expected to be charged today.
Police said Miktarian stopped Thompson in front of Thompson's house at
2454
Glenwood Drive for playing loud music and suspicion of driving under the
influence.
What happened next is unclear. Miktarian called for backup and apparently
tried to arrest Thompson, who had a handcuff on one wrist when he was
arrested by Bedford Heights police.
Miktarian's police dog, Bagio, a German shepherd, was in the cruiser at
the
time of the shooting, police said.
Miktarian was flown to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, where he
was
pronounced dead.
Twinsburg police spokesman Tom Austin said the gun used in the shooting
was
recovered, but he declined to specify the type or caliber. Nor would he
say
whether the gun was Thompson's.
Shortly after the shooting, a police SWAT team surrounded a home in
Twinsburg Town****p. Austin said a suspect was thought to be at the house,
but declined to elaborate.
Arraignment today
Thompson is to be arraigned by video conference in Cuyahoga Falls
Municipal
Court this morning.
Twinsburg Police Chief Chris Noga declined to be interviewed.
Austin said Miktarian's death was the first on-duty fatality since the
department was created in 1955.
''We constantly tell people that stuff that happens in Cleveland can and
will happen in Twinsburg as well, just not at the same frequency,'' he
said.
''But this is extremely hard for the people of our force to take.
''We're just trying to get through the day and do as complete of an
investigation as possible.''
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