Fairfield Twp police officers who quit after failing to shoot an armed suspect have new jobs | Media Pyro

HAMILTON, Ohio (WXIX) – Two Fairfield Township police officers who recently resigned after failing to shoot an armed homicide suspect have new jobs in law enforcement.

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones now tells FOX19 that Austin Reed and Mark Bartlett have been hired as corrections officers for the jail, which the sheriff’s office operates.

Bartlett previously worked as a corrections officer for the sheriff’s office before joining the Fairfield Township Police Department.

“He was a great employee,” Sheriff Jones said Tuesday.

Bartlett was rehired on October 14, and Reed was rehired about a week later, on October 27. Bartlett is paid $56,264 annually. Reid will receive $53,060.

“Everybody gets a chance to work and make a living,” Sheriff tells FOX19 Now. “It didn’t work for them in Fairfield Township, but it worked for the sheriff’s office. On any given day, everyone reacts differently.

“In today’s environment it is very difficult to find people who want to work in jails, prisons, or police departments in any capacity, and we are no exception. We are very fortunate to have these two individuals. As we speak they work at the prison and are still certified peace officers.

Bartlett and Reed resigned from the Fairfield Township Police Department last month, shortly after the Oct. 8 failure to use deadly force against 25-year-old Stefan Jones (no relation to Sheriff Jones), an armed homicide suspect.

According to Fairfield Township Police Chief Robert Chabali, both offices made mistakes in that encounter and voluntarily resigned.

They should have dropped their weapons and opened fire and didn’t, he told FOX19 NOW last month.

“They’re good people, but at some point and time, they decide they can’t take a human life if they have to, and the best thing for them to do is move on,” he said in October. 18 Interview.

Jones is accused of killing 25-year-old Sidney Printup after a car crash near a Marathon gas station on Fairgrove Avenue in Hamilton that escalated into a shooting.

Jones got out of his vehicle, shot Printup multiple times, then fled the scene.

A resident called 911 and followed the suspect into neighboring Fairfield Township, updating the 911 dispatcher along the way.

When Reed and Bartlett responded to the area and encountered Jones in a yard off Morris Road, they failed to follow their police training, the chief said.

The suspect brandished a gun and ignored their commands.

Instead of drawing his gun and matching it with deadly force, Reed pulled his non-lethal Taser stun gun on Jones. He deployed the Taser as Jones fled, but the barbs did not hit him, according to the police report.

The gunman got away, prompting an extensive manhunt that culminated in another standoff with police — one that ended much differently.

Jones was ordered to put his hands up after Hamilton Police Officer Brian Bowlin and Officer James Leisinger showed him a handgun.

As the defendant ignored their orders, they shot him.

After Jones was disarmed, multiple officers began giving him medical attention, police said.

He was later pronounced dead at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

After an investigation into the police shooting by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, a Butler County grand jury reviewed the facts and found that the use of deadly force against Jones was justified and followed police protocol, Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said.

“Officers Bowlin and Leisinger followed their training, used good tactics and acted decisively to prevent an armed and dangerous suspect from harming anyone else,” Hamilton Police Chief Craig Buchheit said last week.

“They saved many innocent lives by putting themselves in harm’s way. I’m proud of them—they’re heroes.

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