Ravenna Township man who was shot by Portage sheriff's deputy gets probation
A Ravenna Township man was recently sentenced to probation in connection with an altercation at his home, during which a Portage County sheriff's deputy shot him two years ago.
Judge Becky Doherty ordered in Portage County Court of Common Pleas on May 1 that Kody Osco, 45, serve five years probation, with the first year under intensive supervision.
James Eskridge, Osco's attorney, declined to comment.
Three deputies went to Osco’s state Route 14 home to arrest him on May 12, 2021, on outstanding warrants for failure to appear, intimidation of a crime victim, public indecency, criminal damaging and trespass in a habitation, according to the sheriff's office. After a family member let them into the home, the deputies confronted Osco in the basement.
The Portage County Prosecutor's Office determined, after an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, that one of the deputies shot Osco in both legs and an arm after he did not obey their repeated commands to drop a knife and then lunged at the deputies. EMS took Osco to UH Portage Medical Center and later transferred him to UH Cleveland Medical Center.
No injuries were reported to the deputies.
The prosecutor's office said that based on this, the deputy's actions were reasonable and justified and in compliance and he would not be charged.
Osco previously pleaded guilty to second-degree felony assault. As part of a plea deal, the charge was amended down from first-degree felony assault and two other first-degree felony assault charges in a grand jury indictment were dismissed. Also as part of a plea deal, Osco pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony attempted trespass of a habitation and first-degree misdemeanor criminal damaging in connection with two other cases, with other charges dismissed.
Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ravenna Township man who was shot by sheriff's deputy gets probation
