MASON, Ohio — The Warren County Sheriff's Office Tuesday released dramatic video footage that officials said depicts a Mason man opening fire on a deputy from point-blank range.
The video -- taken by a doorbell camera -- shows Deputy Sara Vaught on Feb. 15 knocking on the door of a residence on Hunt Club Drive before an individual opened the door, produced a handgun and shot. The bullet narrowly missed Vaught before she returned five rounds.
"I remember one of the more senior officers saying police work was really 95% tedious boredom, punctuated by 5% of sheer terror," former University of Cincinnati Police Chief Gene Ferrara explained. "As I understand what happened here, that's where it went."
The sheriff's office later identified that individual as 56-year-old Lance Runion and charged him with attempted murder and felonious assault.
"Hardly what you'd expect on a welfare check," Ferrara said. "The thing about police work is that you go from zero to 60 in about a half second."
He said that while the situation was tense, Vaught's actions followed procedure to the letter.
"You don't have time to think about anything," Ferrara said. "So you have to react, and the reaction is based on whatever you've programmed into yourself through training. That's really what I'm sure got her through that."
Watch the video in the player below. Warning: While the video does not depict any individual being struck by gunfire, some viewers might find the content of the video disturbing.
Neither Vaught nor the other deputies present at the scene were injured, according to the Warren County Sheriff's Office. Runion was hospitalized due to multiple gunshot wounds.
Deputies originally responded to the residence to attempt a welfare check, according to the sheriff's office.
