Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Elyria, OH: Elyria police officer fatally shot: Suspect involved in shooting killed, police talk to witnesses

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

By Morning Journal Staff
news@MorningJournal.com

ELYRIA — Elyria police officer James Kerstetter was shot and killed and another person was shot and killed at a home at 326 18th St., Elyria, shortly after 10 p.m. Monday. Police were called due to a neighbor dispute, according to a witness.

A neighbor, Milton Wilson, 53, said the other victim was his neighbor, Ronald Palmer, about 57 or 58 years old.

“I heard some shooting,” Wilson said. “I just (went) out and looked. I saw a man on the ground. Police shot him about five or six times, I don’t know why they were shooting him ’til later on. They said he shot a cop.

“When I came out, I just seen the police shooting (the man),” Wilson said. “I just saw them open fire on him.”

Wilson said Palmer was married, but his wife was not home at the time. He added he did not know if Palmer’s wife was informed about the incident. Palmer has two sons who lived out of state, he said.

“He was a dear friend of mine,” Wilson said. Wilson lived across the street from Palmer and he said he has known the man for most of his life.

Another neighbor said he heard one police officer was shot in the head and another was wounded, and the shooter was fatally shot.

“We were watching, the officer pulled up. I guess he got a call about a door being kicked in,” said the neighbor, who asked to remain unidentified. He estimated the incident started about 10:20 p.m.

The officer went to a house next to 326 18th Street and knocked on the door, then went to 326 18th Street and knocked on the door there, the neighbor said.

When a person came down the driveway the officer, told him to stop or halt, the neighbor said. He said he could not identify the person who came down the driveway.

“The officer called for him to stop,” the neighbor said. “He identified himself, he followed protocol.

“The person did fire on the officer first, you could see the flash,” he said.

“We heard the shoot out, it was a tremendous gun battle,” said the neighbor, a veteran military police officer in the Army. “We hit the floor. It was fire after shot after shot.

“It was a lot of shots fired and it was kind of a moving gun battle,” moving from the driveway of 326 18th Street toward West Avenue, where Elyria police were swarming to the scene, the neighbor said. He estimated the man and police fired up to 50 gunshots in the incident.

“Horrible to see that happen here in Elyria,” the man said. “That’s crazy. I hate to see that happen.”


Palmer, 58, came to attention of police on March 26, 2009, when he was arrested on multiple charges for threatening to kill a then 56-year-old Elyria woman, according to Elyria police records.

Palmer kept the woman in her home against her will and threatened to kill himself, according to police.

Palmer called 911 and said the victim was threatening to commit suicide with a gun, but when police arrived at the home, they learned the woman never attempted suicide and was actually being held against her will, according to an Elyria police report.

Police found a naked Palmer hugging the victim who was wearing her pajamas and crying, according to the report. Palmer was charged with domestic violence, aggravated menacing and unlawful restraint, according to the report.

Palmer told police he was reincarnated as “Jesus Christ our savior,” and that his grandfather had been fatally shot, according to the report.

Palmer was permitted to post bond with the orders that he have no contact with the woman; he was allowed back at the residence one time with a police escort to retrieve his belongings, according to court records.

Palmer also was to obtain a psychological evaluation and was ordered not to possess a firearm, according to court records.

A temporary protection order was issued on March 27, 2009, and was recalled April 22, 2009, according to court records.

On Sept. 24, 2009, Palmer pleaded no contest to the a reduced charge of persistent disorderly conduct, for which he was sentenced to a fine and court costs of $305, according to online records from Elyria Municipal Court.

Charges of aggravated menacing and unlawful restraint were dismissed, according to court records.

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