Findlay police release new info from recent shooting

FINDLAY — Findlay Police officers instructed Holden Smith to drop his weapon 92 times in a span of 49 minutes during a stand-off that ended in an officer-involved shooting last week. Findlay Chief Justin Hendren, along with Mayor Christina Muryn, Captain David Hill, Findlay Safety-Service Director Rob Martin, and Lts. Andrew Welch, Brooks Deidrick and Jason Morey were all present during a press conference Monday, held in Findlay City Council Chambers. Hendren read a statement that included condolences for both Smith's family and the responding officers before sharing a presentation of available information and body-cam footage related to the incident. At approximately 1:11 p.m. on Aug. 10, officers responded to the Rodeway Inn, 1901 Broad Ave., for a report of a man, Smith, threatening to harm himself and others with a gun. The caller, believed to be Smith's wife, indicated he also threatened responding officers. The caller said there were juveniles nearby. The dispatcher attempted to get further information, but the call was disconnected. Officers arrived at the scene three minutes after the call was made and attempted to de-escalate the situation, however, "the subject continued to present an armed threat and ultimately pointed his firearm at officers," a slideshow presented at the conference read. A timeline of events also showed Smith rotated between pointing the gun at himself, others in the area and eventually at responding officers. "The first responding officer is a trained crisis negotiator," Hendren said. "He, along with other officers, spent approximately 49 minutes attempting to communicate with Mr. Smith and resolve the situation peacefully … Smith repeatedly told officers to shoot him during the encounter." In the released body-cam footage from two of the responding officers, identified only as "officer one" and "officer two," both can be heard telling Smith that the situation can be "figured out" and that no one wanted to shoot him. Officer one can be heard repeatedly telling Smith that if he put the gun down, officers would talk to him. Hendren said officers noted an "escalation" in Smith's behavior over the course of the incident. It wasn't until Smith pointed his weapon towards officers that one officer fired one shot, striking Smith. The identity of the officer has not yet been released. Hendren told the press that based on known information, the officer involved handled the situation as the officer was trained. He also said officers are trained frequently. At approximately 2 p.m., one officer tells dispatch that shots had been fired and requested Hanco EMS respond. Shortly after, officers render medical aid until Hanco responds. Police recovered a gold and brown revolver handgun at the scene. "This was a dynamic scene that required the officers to balance the escalation efforts, public safety and the safety of everyone at the scene," Hendren told members of the press and public Monday. "The responding officers spent approximately 49 minutes attempting to resolve the situation through communication and negotiation before the encounter ultimately escalated to the use of deadly force." On Monday, a member of the media asked Hendren if this incident could be ruled a "suicide-by-cop" incident, however he declined to comment, saying that it would be "irresponsible" to do so until the investigation is completed. The investigation is still ongoing and is being conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The officers involved have been put on critical-incident leave pending investigation. This incident is the third Findlay Police officer-involved shooting since 2024.