Sheriff Addresses Misinformation Circulating About Deputy-Involved Shooting
(From Seneca County Sheriff Fred Stevens)
****WARNING VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED****
As Sheriff, I felt it was necessary to publish a second press release related to the July 7 Deputy-Involved Shooting on TR 8 & SR 67 involving Jeffrey R. Sergent (DOB 3/5/83 of Bloomville) to address misinformation circulating in our community.
The Seneca County Sheriff’s Office spent the last several days reviewing bodycam footage and completing the legal process of redacting private information from the videos in accordance with Marsy’s Law. The Deputies and the Bloomville officer were, by law, victims of crime in the incident, and personal information had to be manually redacted from the evidence before it was eligible to be viewed.
The video evidence establishes many facts. First, it shows that the deputies did not have their guns drawn around Sergent’s vehicle while they spoke with him. They drew their guns only after Sergent put it into reverse and hit the guardrail and then drove his vehicle toward deputies, as the video clip will show.
Secondly, Sergent claimed to possess only knives at the scene. It was impossible to assess if there were other weapons in the vehicle because Sergent rolled his windows up during the interaction. The Deputies had to assume there was a potential for more weapons present because they were aware of his felony record with violent tendencies and his previous actions towards law enforcement, specifically the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office.
Thirdly, “popping sounds” that can be heard on the video clip can be explained by the noise of the window punch tool putting a hole in the window, and then the noise of the asp breaking the window, and then the sound of the vehicle striking the guardrail. It is after those sounds that the sound of gunfire can be heard, and then the sound of the engine backfiring numerous times, after it slammed into a cruiser, can also be heard.
Fourthly, the Deputies were standing on both sides of Sergent’s vehicle during the arrest attempt, never in front of it. When he put the vehicle in motion, the Deputies were forced to move to avoid being hit, which then placed some of them in front of the vehicle.
Ohio Revised Code (ORC), in Section 2923.11, defines a “deadly weapon” as “any instrument, device, or thing capable of inflicting death, and designed or specially adapted for use as a weapon, or possessed, carried, or used as a weapon.” ORC Section 2903.11 further clarifies a motor vehicle as a “deadly weapon.”
Sergent’s reversing almost struck deputies, and then after striking the guardrail and driving directly toward the Deputies, he put their lives at risk by attempting to escape instead of simply complying. The Deputies drew their weapons and fired only when their lives and the lives of their fellow officers were in danger, as the video clip clearly shows.
The decisions the Deputies and Bloomville Officer made during the arrest were influenced by Sergent’s past before the interaction with him on 7-7-26, as he is a known violent felony offender with our office. They knew they had to use caution, especially when effecting an arrest on him.
Sergent had convictions in Ohio and Tennessee, in addition to charges in Georgia. Sergent’s charges in Ohio include Resisting Arrest, Failure to Comply, Vandalism, Fugitive from Justice, and Assault of a Police Officer. Sergent had convictions in Ohio for Escape F3 and Assault.
These convictions, which resulted in a prison sentence, are related to a 2018 incident in which Sergent assaulted a Seneca County Sheriff’s Deputy and attempted to take the Deputy’s gun during an arrest for Domestic Violence.
Deputies spoke with Sergent about the current Felony Domestic Charges prior to the 7-7-26 arrest attempt. Sergent denied the claim and said he had evidence disproving the charges. He never provided evidence and charges were subsequently typed, resulting in the attempted arrest on 7-7-26.
Attached to this press release are a bodycam video clip and four stills that reveal the immediate danger the Deputies faced. This incident falls under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation, and any investigation-related questions should be directed to:
Dominic Binkley
Press Secretary
Office of Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson
Office number: 614-728-4127
Sheriff Fredrick W. Stevens