BROOKFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) – A suspect has died after an officer-involved shooting in Brookfield.

Just after 1 a.m. Tuesday, officers and troopers responded to a 911 call about a suspect trespassing in a cabin on private property. As officers approached the suspect, he jumped out of a window of the cabin and got into a stolen vehicle, according to a joint news release from investigating agencies.

Investigators say the suspect would not comply with commands and drove toward officers in the stolen vehicle — a pickup truck with a snowplow attached to the front belonging to William Shafer. Multiple officers then fired their guns, hitting the suspect, identified as 50-year-old Fred Wild III, of Liberty Township.

Wild was the only person in the vehicle at the time. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The shooting happened in the 1400 block of state Route 7.

Multiple agencies, including Brookfield police, Lordstown Village Police Department, Vienna Township Police Department, the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, were there Tuesday morning.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Wild was the suspect in a police pursuit that ended after officers lost sight of him along railroad tracks on Merwin Chase Road in Brookfield on Monday. That chase started in Lordstown and ended after the suspect’s vehicle got stuck near the tracks. The suspect got out and ran from the vehicle.

Reports from the Liberty Police Department indicate that Wild had a warrant for his arrest out of Lake County.

He was also facing a failure to comply charge stemming from an incident on Saturday in Liberty Township.

A family member of Wild called police Saturday to report that he was at her home and she wanted him to leave. Officers spotted Wild coming out of the driveway of Pleasant Valley Church and attempted to stop him, but he drove away and officers lost sight of him.

Investigators say it all started when a concerned citizen called the non-emergency dispatch line at the Trumbull County 911 center to report someone trespassing on private property.

Dispatcher: “County dispatch.”
Caller: “Uh, yes, I was wondering if I could meet with a Brookfield officer?”
Dispatcher: “OK. What do you need?”
Caller: “It’s in reference to that guy that was fleeing today.”

WKBN spoke with a family member of Wild on Tuesday. She declined an interview but said Wild suffered from mental health issues.

“It’s people who steal other people’s [expletive] … and then it was for what?” Shafer, the truck’s owner, said. “He ended up dying over it — it’s a shame.”

The Bureau of Criminal Investigation confirms it was requested by the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the officer-involved shooting. That investigation is ongoing.

Brian Oehlbeck contributed to this report.