North Olmsted officer shot during a shootout which killed Tomas Nock after he set a home ablaze
By: A 27-year-old man -- identified as Thomas Nock of Elyria -- has died after he was shot while allegedly exchanging gunfire with police in North Olmsted.
Meanwhile, North Olmsted police say another man was found dead inside a home that was deliberately set afire. Two separate investigations are now underway.
North Olmsted police officials say it was around 1:39 a.m. Saturday when a woman called dispatch stating that a man approached her and said someone was trying to kill his uncle. The female told police that the male had blood on him and directed the officers to 28000 block of Alden Drive.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers heard what they thought was a gunshot and saw that the house was on fire. A man was seen exiting the front door of the house and started running west through the backyards of Alden Drive. Officers from Westlake and North Olmsted ordered the suspect to stop multiple times.
Police say Nock got stuck in some bushes in a rear yard on Berkshire Drive and then began firing at a North Olmsted officer, striking him twice. The officer was hit once in the arm and also in the chest. North Olmsted police officials say the officer's ballistic vest stopped the shot to his chest, and he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The officer, who has been employed with North Olmsted police since Aug. 17, 2021, has since been released from St. John Westshore Hospital and is recovering at home.
A Westlake police officer and a North Olmsted officer returned fire and struck Nock several times. Nock was taken to Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital. According to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office, he died shortly after midnight Sunday.
The investigation into the shooting will be conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. "We have the utmost confidence that they have the resources involved to come to a conclusion on this," said North Olmsted Police Chief Bob Wagner on Monday.
Police officials also say that the residence on Alden Drive was fully engulfed in flames and that several fire departments responded for mutual aid. Once the fire was put out and the house was safe to enter, a man was found dead inside the structure. He was later identified as 52-year-old Christopher Torrisi of North Olmsted. Torrisi was found with at least one gunshot wound, and his exact cause of death will be determined by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office.
The house fire is being investigated as arson by the State Fire Marshal's Office. North Olmsted officials say the house will be torn down soon. Torrisi's death will be investigated by North Olmsted police.
Additionally, the man who approached the initial female caller was later located and also transported to the hospital with unknown injuries. Police are not identifying him at this time.
No other suspects are believed to be involved in the incident.