WAYNE COUNTY, Ohio — An Ohio sheriff was slashed, a sergeant was stabbed, and a suspect allegedly livestreamed from a shed after dousing himself in gasoline during a dramatic standoff Tuesday.
Wayne County Sheriff Thomas Ballinger and Sergeant Dan Broome were called to the 9000 block of Congress Road in Congress Township shortly before 11 a.m. after reports of a suspicious person walking in the area.
A suspicious-person call usually means police have been asked to check on someone whose behavior has raised concern. It can range from a welfare check to a public-safety issue, and officers may not know what they are walking into until they arrive.
According to local reports, investigators said the suspect, identified as Chad Palmer of Orrville, had allegedly been acting suspiciously and threatening a family earlier that morning before the sheriff and sergeant approached him.
Authorities said Palmer pulled out a pocket knife, slashed Sheriff Ballinger on the arm, and stabbed Sergeant Broome more seriously. Both officers were taken to the hospital. Sheriff Ballinger was treated at Wooster Community Hospital, while Sergeant Broome was flown to an Akron-area hospital. Both men were later released and are recovering.
Palmer then fled, triggering a major law enforcement response involving deputies, state troopers, SWAT officers, U.S. Marshals, paramedics, and an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter.
The search soon turned into a standoff. Authorities said Palmer was found in a shed near woods off Congress Road, where he allegedly poured gasoline on himself and went live on Facebook.
Investigators said the livestream helped officers work out where he was, with officials using details from the video as part of the response.
Negotiators were brought in after Palmer climbed onto the roof of the shed. He eventually came down a ladder and was taken into custody shortly before 2 p.m.
Northwestern Local Schools were placed on a soft lockdown while officers searched the area. School officials said students and staff were safe, but access to buildings was temporarily restricted as a precaution.
Palmer was being held in the Ashland County Jail and was expected to appear in Wayne County Municipal Court. The sheriff’s office said he is facing several serious charges.
Local reports said Palmer had been arrested in March on disorderly conduct, inducing panic and resisting arrest charges, with that case reportedly on hold pending a competency evaluation. He had also been on parole since 2024 after serving time for felonious assault and other charges.
