Ohio commander on leave after ‘reckless homicide’ at corrections training academy
ORIENT, Ohio (WCMH) – The fatal shooting of a lieutenant at a Corrections Training Academy in Pickaway County is being classified as a reckless homicide.
According to an Ohio State Highway Patrol incident report, the fatal shooting of Rodney Osborne is being considered a reckless homicide, a third-degree felony. The redacted report does not reveal who is being charged, or the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
However, a statement from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction noted that West Regional Special Operations Commander David Pearson was placed on administrative leave on April 10, pending an investigation into Osborne’s death.
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The incident report stated that on April 9, at approximately 11:15 am., deputies responded to reports of a trainee suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Upon arriving at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) Training Academy in Orient, Ohio, Osborne was receiving emergency care on scene from fellow trainees.
Osborne was taken to Mount Carmel Grove City hospital where he was pronounced dead.
At the time of the incident ODRC director Annette Chambers Smith said, “This appears to have been a tragic accident, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating.”
According to a recording of the 911 call placed that morning, Osborne was placed in a Chevy Silverado and taken to the hospital. Deputies collected information of corrections officers at the hospital and advised them they would be contacted for formal statements. Evidence was collected from the vehicle as was the shirt Osborne was wearing.
Osborne had served with the department for 13 years and worked at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Scioto County. He was part of the facility’s honor guard and had been named employee of the year one week prior to his death. He was also a member of the special response team and the statewide special tactics and response team.
Pearson began his tenure with the Warren Correctional Institution in 2005 and has served in his current role since 2021.
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