Today, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters announced that no charges would be filed against the officer involved in the October 20th Elmwood Place Police officer involved shooting.

On October 20th at approximately 1:30 p.m. Elmwood Place Police Officer Nicholas Arn, working in uniform and in a marked police vehicle, stopped a green Dodge pickup truck driven by Rodney Arnez Barnes.  Officer Arn initiated a traffic stop, for a non-valid driver of the vehicle, at the corner of Linden Street and Highland Avenue.

Officer Arn exited his vehicle and approached Barnes’ pickup truck to get information from Barnes.  Barnes gave the officer fictitious information.  As Officer Arn was in the police cruiser checking this information, Barnes’ waved the officer back toward his truck.  As the officer approached Barnes’ truck, Barnes exited his truck and said, “I am not going back”, and opened fire on Officer Arn.  Barnes fired 1 shot toward the officer.  Officer Arn was approximately 8-10 feet from Barnes when Barnes opened fire.  Barnes’ shot struck the officer’s marked police cruiser.

Officer Arn returned fire and fired 11 shots toward Barnes.  Barnes was struck 4 times on the right side of his body.  Other shots hit a window, tree and fence in the residential neighborhood.  Barnes was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

At the time of the traffic stop, Barnes was wanted by the police for Aggravated Robbery and Having Weapons While Under Disability.  While awaiting sentencing for these charges in 2019, Barnes was admitted to the University of Cincinnati Psychiatric Emergency Services Unit.  Barnes walked away from the unit and has been wanted by the police since July, 2019. He previously had served time in prison.

No body worn camera or cruiser camera video is available as the Elmwood Place Police Department does not have either of these items.

Prosecutor Deters commented, “This young officer initiated what he had every reason to believe would be a routine traffic stop.  Nothing could have been further from the truth.

Barnes had a long record and did not want to go back to prison.  Knowing that the officer would arrest him, Barnes tried to kill the officer.  Fortunately, Barnes’ shot missed and the officer was not injured.  The officer took quick action to save his own life and, most likely, saved the lives of other innocent people.

We must never underestimate the danger that the police face every day with every interaction.  Every officer wants to do their job to the best of their ability to keep their community safe but they also want to make it home to their family.”