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MINGO JUNCTION -- Charges are pending against a man who allegedly shot at his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend and a police officer responding to a domestic violence call Thursday at a residence in the 300 block of McLister Avenue.
Police Chief Willie McKenzie said the alleged gunman, William Hannah, 30, of 619 Linden Ave., Steubenville, told him afterward that he wanted a shootout with police so he could commit "suicide by cop."
Hannah is being held without bond in the Jefferson County Jail on pending charges of felonious assault, domestic violence, menacing and reckless discharge of a firearm.
McKenzie said a 9 mm handgun and an AR-15 were recovered at the scene.
"I feel very, very blessed," McKenzie said. "To get a call like that from the 9-1-1 center saying that my officer has been shot at...that was one of the most heart-touching things I was ever told. My thing was to make sure I got there as quickly as possible to make sure he was okay ...I didn't know if anyone was injured, I just knew shots had been fired."
The officer returned fire, McKenzie said, but neither he nor Hannah was hit. Three civilians on the property, including Hannah's ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, also were uninjured. A police cruiser was struck by one of the bullets.
McKenzie said the officer was outside the residence talking with the man who had reported the domestic incident when the shooting began. The new boyfriend had just walked out of the home.
"When my officer was right outside the residence he was met by a male individual with whom he'd been actively speaking with prior to arriving on scene," McKenzie said. "Right after that shots rang out from behind the house–we believe six to nine shots."
After taking cover, the officer returned fire and ordered Hannah to put down his weapon, McKenzie said.
"He put (the weapon) down and was ultimately arrested," McKenzie said.
McKenzie said Hannah told him he had learned his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend was at the residence and decided "to come (there) and kill him and then have a shootout with police."
"That's what he told me when I interviewed him. He said the reason he didn't do suicide by cop was because he had respect for me," McKenzie said.
McKenzie said Hannah's ex-girlfriend had dropped off a child she shares with Hannah at a family member's house less than an hour before the shooting.
"He was behind the house, shooting toward the front," McKenzie said. "Nobody was struck by gunfire or hurt. Our officer was not injured, (he) was arrested without incident."
McKenzie said domestic violence calls are inherently dangerous for law enforcement.
"That's where you get these types of encounters," McKenzie said. "People are heated, people are enraged...(and sometimes) willing to kill and be killed."
Jefferson County sheriff's deputies and Cross Creek and Wells Township police also responded to the call.