Middletown Police Cleared in Fatal Shooting of Suspected Wife Killer

A grand jury in Butler County has cleared Middletown police officers of any charges related to the fatal shooting of Ronald Kerr, who was suspected of murdering his wife, Consuelo Kerr. The incident occurred on July 13 when officers responded to a domestic violence call at a Mohawk Street residence and attempted to de-escalate the situation before hearing gunfire from inside. Police then breached the home, where Kerr allegedly pointed a firearm at them, prompting officers to return fire and fatally shoot him seven times. Consuelo Kerr was found dead with 11 gunshot wounds believed to have been inflicted by her husband, though the motive and exact circumstances leading to her death remain under investigation. The Butler County Prosecutor emphasized that pointing a firearm at law enforcement during their duties will be met with lethal force to neutralize the threat. No officers were injured during the incident, and an independent investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was conducted at the request of the Middletown police chief.