(SPRINGFIELD, Ohio) — A Clark County grand jury declined to indict a Springfield police officer in the death of Eric Cole, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.
“The grand jury determined that the incident surrounding Mr. Cole’s death was tragic, but not criminal,” Yost said. “Anytime a person dies following a law enforcement interaction, it is critical that information be publicly available so that our communities can trust the process. For complete transparency, the entire investigative file is now on our website for anyone to see.”
Cole, 42, died after being run over by a Springfield police cruiser that was responding to an emergency call on the night of June 13, 2021, on S. Center Boulevard in Springfield. The grand jury declined to indict Officer Amanda Rosales, who was driving the vehicle. Cole had been shot in a previous altercation and was lying in the road.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated the traffic incident, while the Springfield Division of Police investigated the shooting.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecution section was appointed to present the case to the grand jury.
The investigative file has been posted to the Attorney General’s website as part of a continued commitment to full and proper public transparency in officer-involved critical incidents. The site archives case files for officer-involved critical incidents only after a case is closed, as state law prohibits any earlier release in order to ensure a fair investigation and judicial process.
This morning's press conference announcing the grand jury's decision is archived on the AG's Facebook page.
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Steve Irwin: 614-728-5417
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