MIAMI TOWNSHIP, Ohio — One person is dead after an officer exchanged gunfire with a woman in Miami Township.
Police Chief Mike Mills said they received multiple calls around 5 p.m. about a woman firing shots in the parking lot of Berry Lane Apartments. When police arrived, Mills said the woman — 47-year-old Camille Weems — fired one round at officers.
Mills said the three officers at the scene told Weems to drop her gun. When one officer stood up, Mills said the woman fired another round. Mills said the officer fired six rounds, hitting her.
EMS arrived on scene and called for air care. Mills said the woman was pronounced dead when she arrived at the air care location.
Miami Township Police called the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the organization that conducts investigations into officer-involved shootings. Mills said he has seen the body camera footage and the department hopes to release it as soon as Saturday.
Mills said police have previously responded to calls about Weems, noting one officer on scene was calling out her name. He said the situation likely had to deal with mental health. One of Weems' neighbors said they called police for a welfare check.
"I had a feeling that things were not going well, that's why my first idea was to have a welfare check done this morning," Casey Greenberg said. "They went in and left. About 20 minutes later is when the first shot happened. After that, I heard two more gunshots. She was shooting in the air."
Greenberg said Weems then approached another resident who had a baby.
"She had the gun behind her back," Greenberg said. "While she was standing there, she did fire twice in the air next to them."
According to Mills, Miami Township officers are "highly trained" in how to deal with mental health situations.
"We have an on-staff mental health worker that was here from the word go, but we can't bring him in when she's firing rounds," Mills said.
Mills said the officers on scene have never been involved in a shooting and said he cannot remember police ever being involved in a shooting inside Miami Township.
The name of the officer who fired shots has not been released. Mills said the officer will be put on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation.
"He's a veteran officer ... but he did a really good job of trying to talk to her and rendering aid afterwards," Mills said. "If there was somebody with a textbook, he did it textbook."
The Bureau of Criminal Investigations is leading the investigation into the shooting.
"Unfortunate about what happened, but they saved lives today, especially an infant," said Greenberg.
READ MORE
Officials search for Mason man accused of sexually assaulting 3 minors
Mother of man killed in East Price Hill says officer shooting suspect was 'karma'
