ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — A local dispatcher was awarded for her bravery and courage after quickly rendering aid to a wounded Ross County deputy.
On November 17, 2022, Dispatcher Matson said she heard what sounded like gunshots outside of the Ross County Law Complex. According to the Chillicothe Police Department, moments later, Matson was notified of a deputy down.
Authorities say she found Deputy Eric Kocheran lying in the hallway near the rear door of the law complex. Upon discovering that Kocheran had been shot, she began to render first aid.
An official spokesperson for the department said, “What is normally expected of our police officers, to go to the emergency, Dispatcher Matson took the initiative and courageously performed a selfless act. Doctors say that if it were not for her actions the outcome would have been direr.”
Kocheran was shot after a lone gunman, identified as Nicholas Mitchell came to the facility looking to kill police. Mitchell, body cam showed, told Kocheran, who opened the rear door, that someone was threatening his family and wanted him to hurt children. Mitchell said that he could not and instead pulled a gun from his pocket and opened fire.
Sergeant Eric Kocheran, was struck in the chest but before falling to the ground, was able to shoot and kill Mitchell.
A source told the Guardian that following a search warrant on Mitchell’s residence, investigators found that the shooter had made credible plans to attack a local school. The individual did not go into detail as to which school was the target.
After a lengthy stay in a Columbus area hospital, Kocheran returned to Ross County with a hero’s welcome.