“Tell my family I love them.” Those were the last words spoken into the radio by a young officer shot and killed in the line of duty. Toledo Police Officer Anthony Dia, 26, was shot just after midnight on July 4th at a Home Depot in Toledo Ohio. A Facebook user posted this picture of Officer Dia posing with his sons just hours before he was killed.
Routine Call
Officer Dia responded to what sounded like an ordinary call. A group of car enthusiasts were holding an informal car show in the parking lot of the Home Depot in Toledo. A report came in of an intoxicated man wandering around the lot.
According to Toledo Police Chief George Kral, Dia was first on the scene. When he attempted to check on the welfare of the man, he pulled out a handgun and shot Dia in the chest. Officials say Dia had on department-issued body armor.
He then fled into a wooded area. Witnesses said the young officer asked for help and seemed scared.
When Dia’s fellow officers arrived on the scene, they put Dia into a police car and rushed him to a nearby hospital. Dia did not survive the injury.
Officers set up a perimeter, put a drone in the air, and used a K9 officer to track down the suspect. Police reported hearing a single gunshot wound. Just after 3 am, police found the 57-year-old suspect dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Ultimate Sacrifice
Dia is survived by a wife and a two young sons. Chief Kral asked that everyone keep Dia’s family, friends, and fellow officers in their prayers.
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said he was at the hospital when Dia’s body was escorted out. He said he would never forget the sight of the officer’s flag-draped body being wheeled out of the hospital flanked by thirty Toledo Police officers.
“As Americans gather today to celebrate their freedoms, many will reflect on the sacrifices made to provide them. Some took place at Bunker Hill, some took place at Gettysburg, some took place on Omaha Beach, some took place in Afghanistan, others in areas around the country, and the world. Americans would be right to recognize these sacrifices. I would also hope they pause to reflect on the sacrifices that safety forces, especially police forces also make every day, every night, with very little fanfare. Often vilified. Always under-appreciated. One such sacrifice took place this morning.”
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said, “Officer Dia lost his life doing what police do during every watch of their lives — trying to help someone. His memory will stand tall forever, a man who was fulfilling his duty in his final act. My heart breaks for the family he left behind.”
This is the actual radio transmission from the tragic event. Advisory: Content is disturbing.
