“I arrived and it was a horrific and heartbreaking moment. And to my dying day, I will never forget the sight of Officer Dia being wheeled out of the hospital on a gurney, his body wrapped in an American Flag, flanked by about 20 Toledo police officers saluting and weeping.”
Credit Law: Enforcement Today – Jenna Curren
TOLEDO, OH- A Toledo police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty after being shot in the chest overnight in west Toledo.
Officer Anthony Dia, 26, was responding to a call around 12 a.m. about an intoxicated man walking around the parking lot of Home Depot. According to witnesses, the location serves as a sort of hang-out spot where informal car shows are held.
The man was drinking and arguing with some people that were gathered when police received a 911 call and dispatched an officer to the area.
On Saturday morning, Toledo Police Chief George Kral held a press conference along with Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz to offer details on the shooting:
“Officer Dia was the first crew to arrive that morning on a check safety call. He was checking to make sure that this man was OK.”
Chief Kral also said:
“Witness told police the 57-year-old male suspect was walking away when he turned and fired one round from a handgun. Officer Dia was struck in the chest.”
Other officers that had responded to the scene quickly placed Dia into a cruiser and sped off to ProMedica Toledo Hospital where Dia was then pronounced dead. Witnesses told police that Officer Dia was able to return fire before he was struck with a bullet to the chest. The Chief continued to discuss what transpired next.
After the shooting occurred, the suspect went into a nearby wooded area. Police used a drone and a police dog to search the area. Officers reported hearing a single gunshot from the woods.
Officers found the suspect around 3:15 a.m. dead of a single gunshot wound to the head. During the press conference, Mayor Kapszukiewicz spoke in a somber tone when describing the scene he found when he arrived at the Toledo Hospital at 2 a.m.:
“I arrived and it was a horrific and heartbreaking moment. And to my dying day, I will never forget the sight of Officer Dia being wheeled out of the hospital on a gurney, his body wrapped in an American Flag, flanked by about 20 Toledo police officers saluting and weeping.”
The Mayor spoke about Officer Dia’s death coming on July 4, a day to reflect on the nation’s sacrifices. He said Officer Dia was also Muslim and contributed other perspectives to the department:
“He was not only therefore one of Toledo’s bravest and best police officers, he’s also someone who contributes to the diversity that makes our country and our city so great.”
The Mayor spoke about Officer Dia’s death coming on July 4, a day to reflect on the nation’s sacrifices. He said Officer Dia was also Muslim and contributed other perspectives to the department:
“He was not only therefore one of Toledo’s bravest and best police officers, he’s also someone who contributes to the diversity that makes our country and our city so great.”
For his birthday in January 2019, Officer Dia asked for donations to help Concerns of Police Survivors, an organization that helps the family and co-workers of officers involved in line-of-duty deaths. The organization provides resources to help rebuild their lives.
Toledo Fire Chief Brian Byrd broke the news of the death to the wider first-responder community through an announcement over the radio network, as is customary:
“This is a special announcement from Chief 111. It is with deep regret that we announce the loss of a Toledo Police Officer Anthony Dia, who was shot and killed in the line of duty at approximately 12:30 tonight.”
Saturday’s death on the July 4th holiday marks the first TPD officer killed in the line of duty since Detective Keith Dressel was shot and killed in 2007.
A witness to the shooting, Shalene Houke, who is a Toledo resident, fought back tears as she described to The Blade the events she witnessed. She said she and a group of friends were gathered in the Home Depot’s parking lot when a man who was not associated with them started making trouble.
The man, who appeared to be highly intoxicated had a dog with him and was bothering another group of people nearby.
Ms. Houke said that when Officer Dia arrived at the parking lot, he tried to speak to the man, but the man started walking away. The officer told the man to stop, but he kept walking.
Ms. Houke said, eventually the man with the dog stopped walking and crouched down behind some stacked up gardening supplies and that’s when the shooting started. She said she saw the man with the dog open fire first and the officer then returned fire before he went down. Ms. Houke and a friend approached the officer and heard him asking for help saying he’d been shot before he slipped into unconsciousness.
As more police quickly arrived on scene they tried to shake Officer Dia awake and then stripped him of his gear while trying to determine where he was shot, Ms. Houke said.
Mayor Kapszukiewicz asked citizens on this Independence Day to remember not only the sacrifices made by the member of the armed forces, but also those made by law enforcement who place their lives on the line:
“every day, every night, with very little fanfare, often vilified, always under appreciated.”
Officer Dia leaves behind a wife and a 2-year-old child.