Mansfield police were dispatched to the area of West Fifth and Bowman streets on Wednesday afternoon for a ShotSpotter activation.
Mansfield police on afternoon watch eventually located several individuals with active warrants due to their quick action and assistance from audio detection technology.
ShotSpotter installs microphones on buildings and streetlights
ShotSpotter works by installing sensors, or rather microphones, on buildings and streetlights.
When the sensors pick up something resembling the sound of a gunshot, a location is established based on the time it takes for the sound to travel to each sensor.
An audio file is sent to the “acoustic specialists” at ShotSpotter, according to an informational video on the company’s website, who then determine if the captured sound is a gunshot or something else, such as a fire fireworks.
Specialists send this information to law enforcement, who are dispatched to the scene to confront the shooter, or interview witnesses and recover casings.
Deputy Chief of Police praises officers for their police work
“I know this would be exciting for most people, but unfortunately this is a mundane call to patrol. Afternoon watch did a fantastic job handling this call taking control of the situation and locating several people with warrants. I’m super proud of them,” Mansfield Deputy Police Chief Jason Bammann said.
While in the area, officers found broken glass from what appeared to be a vehicle window, Bammann said. Officers also located a single casing on the roadway. Both vehicles fled the scene before officers arrived. Contact was then made with a resident who informed him that a bullet had passed through his bathroom window. Officers located the bullet and recovered it. Several citizens reported seeing people fleeing the scene in a black Chevrolet Impala which they believed to be the ones shooting.
Officers then located the listed vehicle at the Dollar Tree on Springmill Street. A woman whose vehicle window was knocked out was across the street in the 300 block of Harker Street and said she was the driver of the listed black GMC. She said she was turning left onto Bowman Street when she heard several gunshots and then the sound of breaking glass. She then fled home because she did not know what had happened, according to the police report.
Officers then located the suspect vehicle, the black Impala, at 62 Raymond Avenue, where contact was made with three individuals.
One person was found to have an active felony warrant out of the US Marshals office. A second person was found in possession of an Ohio Highway Patrol warrant. A third individual was found in possession of an Ontario Police Service warrant. All three were transported to the Richland County Jail.
lwhitmir@gannett.com
419-521-7223
Twitter: @LWhitmir
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