CINCINNATI — Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers shot and killed a suspect in a reported attack on the FBI Cincinnati office during a standoff Thursday afternoon.
At 3:42 p.m., the man reportedly raised a gun at law enforcement and troopers shot the man who succumbed to his wounds on Smith Road north of I-71, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said at a news conference Thursday evening.
We’re hearing an update from the State Highway Patrol right now. He says negotiations with the suspect from the Clinton Co. standoff were unsuccessful and officers shot and killed him when they exchanged gunfire. @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/wnNF5IMIIe
— Michelle Alfini (@MichelleAlf) August 11, 2022
The patrol said gunfire was exchanged as the man exited his vehicle Thursday afternoon before the man was killed.
The incident happened in a rural area on Smith Road near Van Trees Road in Clinton County.
The man’s identity was not released pending its confirmation, according to the patrol.
No officers or bystanders were reported as injured.
The incident caused I-71 to be closed to traffic initially, but it reopened to traffic just after 2 p.m. after being shut down in both directions between state routes 73 and 68 as the standoff occurred.
Once the situation was reportedly contained to the specific perimeter on Smith Road, traffic once again was allowed to travel the roadway.
Traffic is moving again on I-71. It’s been closed for hours due to a standoff on nearby Smith Rd. No word from officials if the standoff is still ongoing but last they told us it was contained to a specific perimeter. @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/ocfHhT8PmT
— Michelle Alfini (@MichelleAlf) August 11, 2022
FBI Cincinnati said the search and standoff began when an armed man tried to breach its Visitor Screening Facility on Thursday at around 9 a.m. and then fled the scene.
At a press conference at 1:30 p.m., it was said the FBI told the state highway patrol the suspect was traveling in a white Ford Crown Victoria, which a trooper spotted traveling northbound on I-71 in Warren County.
The trooper tried to start a traffic stop at 9:37 a.m. and a chase followed the attempt.
The suspect reportedly fired shots during the chase and exited I-71 onto State Route 73 and went east.
The pursuit continued east to Smith Road and stopped near Van Trees Road in Clinton County, where gunfire again was exchanged between the suspect and the pursuing officers.
According to Clinton County Emergency Management, law enforcement “traded shots with a male suspect who is wearing a gray shirt and body armor.”
Officials said the man showed up to the office in Kenwood, and when they attempted to get in the building, an alarmed sounded. Agents then responded, leading to a pursuit on I-71 where the suspect fled.
A lockdown was in effect for a one-mile radius between the intersection of Smith Road and Center Road. Officials urged residents and businesses in this area to lock their doors and remain vigilant.
FBI Cincinnati tweeted around at 11:50 a.m. that the FBI, Ohio State Highway Patrol and local law enforcement were on scene near Wilmington, Ohio, to resolve the incident.
This is a breaking story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
Multimedia Journalist Michelle Alfini and Digital Producer Bryce Shreve contributed to this report.
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