TOLEDO, Ohio — UPDATE: On Nov. 7, 2023, a Lucas County Grand Jury found no further investigation was needed regarding Officers Whitacre, Simpson and Insley's shooting of Robert Schaffer. Schaffer was indicted on three counts of aggravated menacing.
Toledo Police Chief Michael Troendle held a news conference Tuesday to release more information about an incident in which police shot a west Toledo man early Friday, including recordings of 911 calls, as well as video from the cruiser dashboard cameras and body cameras of officers on the scene.
The man shot by police, Robert Schaffer, 60, was shot three times shortly after 2 a.m. Friday at a home on Ruskin Drive. He remains in the hospital after surgery, Troendle said.
The body-camera and dash-cam footage shared Tuesday shows Schaffer emerging from his home as officers -- who were there for reports of an intoxicated, armed and suicidal man -- shout to him to put down the gun and show his hands, just before gunfire erupted.
Troendle released the names of the three officers who fired at Schaffer:
- Officer Jacoby Whitaker, 39, who has been on the force since 2017 and has no active discipline cases.
- Officer Nathan Insley, 24, who was hired in 2022 and has no active discipline cases.
- Officer Alex Simpson, 28, who was hired in 2018 has two disciplinary cases related to accidents in police vehicles from 2021 and 2022.
All three were placed on paid leave after Friday's shooting.
The incident began with a 911 call from Schaffer's wife, who told authorities her husband was intoxicated, armed with a rifle and suicidal.
"He's just saying 'It's my birthday and I want to die," Schaffer's wife can be heard telling emergency dispatchers on a recording of the call Troendle played during Tuesday's news conference.
A dispatcher on the call can be heard asking for more information about Schaffer's whereabouts in the home and whether he was armed. During the conversation, Schaffer apparently put down and picked up the gun several times.
The woman, who was sometimes crying, can be heard on the recording telling Schaffer that she doesn't want to die with him.
Authorities were alarmed by the change in the woman's tone as the call progressed, Troendle said.
"Her whole demeanor changed and it went from 'I don't think he's going to do something' to now she doesn't want die as well," Troendle said.
Officers were concerned that Schaffer may hurt his wife, the chief said.
"Immediately we're trying to figure out a way to get her out of that house," Troendle said.
After Schaffer's wife was able to leave the house Schaffer emerged with the rifle and was shot by officers. Schaffer, wounded, then went back inside his home and shut the door.
When he replied to negotiators through the door, police determined he was near the front door, Troendle said. Officers then determined Schaffer was no longer armed, so they went inside with medics to help Schaffer and get him to the hospital, the chief said.
Though the footage does not clearly show the entire interaction between Schaffer and officers, Troendle said body-camera footage will not always show everything that happens at police scenes.
"It is difficult because there are some people who feel 'if I didn't see it, it didn't happen' and that just simply isn't true," Troendle said.
Troendle called the entire situation a clear example of attempted "suicide by cop," but said thanks to good police work, they were able to prevent any casualties.
"Our officers are alive, the wife is alive, and even he is alive. So those are all good endings to a situation that could have been a lot worse," said Troendle.
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