4 Mansfield police SWAT members involved in fatal shooting during weekend hostage incident

Four Mansfield police SWAT members were involved in the fatal shooting of Michael Oswalt II in the early morning hours of Saturday's hostage incident in the 200 block of Cline Avenue.

Mansfield police Chief Jason Bammann in a news release Tuesday noted, among other details, that Oswalt released two children during three hours of negotiations.

How fatal shooting unfolded

When officers attempted to make contact with a man they identified as Oswalt, he closed the door and barricaded himself and two children inside, police said. A female was able to get back inside the residence from the rear door, Bammann said. The officers established communication with Oswalt. Hostage negotiators and the Richland County ASORT team arrived to begin negotiations.

A short time later the female was able to flee out the back door where SWAT operators Sgt. Shane Gess, Sgt. Michael Haines, Sgt. Joseph Gladden and officer Paul Webb were positioned, Bammann said.

"The male suspect was observed chasing the victim and was armed with a knife(s). Less lethal munitions were fired at the suspect with little to no effect. Operators were then forced to use lethal force to stop his actions. SWAT paramedics were on scene and immediately began life saving measures, but were unsuccessful," Bammann said.

Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation and the Richland County prosecutors arrived on the scene. BCI will handle the investigation.

City 911 caller said 'She is in fear for her life'

A concerned neighbor said he could hear fighting coming from a residence in the 200 block of Cline Avenue early Saturday morning and called the city's emergency 911 line, saying he believed the woman who lives there had a man at her house causing problems and "she is in fear for her life," according to the 911 call the News Journal obtained via public records request.

lwhitmir@gannett.com

419-521-7223

X: @lwhitmir

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: 4 Mansfield police SWAT members involved in fatal shooting during weekend hostage incident