Ohio armed security officers detained-disarmed by deputies after complaint
Fairfield County OH July 14 2019 – Four armed men in bullet-proof vests drew the suspicion of customers at a gasoline station Sunday night.
Fairfield County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the Duchess gasoline station, 800 West Waterloo Street, shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday, after someone called 911 saying four men in bullet-proof vests and openly carrying guns were approaching people at the business, according to a sheriff’s office report.
When deputies arrived, they spoke to four men who identified themselves as employees of U.S. Protection Services, a private security firm with offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland and Toledo.
One customer at the station told deputies the men walked toward him and told him to “get his tags checked out.” The customer said he didn’t believe the men were actually police officers and felt unsafe.
One of the private guards told the deputies they contacted the sheriff’s office because they suspected someone at the business had been driving while drunk. He pointed the man out to deputies and said he drove over a curb as he entered the station’s parking lot. The guard said his group approached the man they suspected was intoxicated and asked him for his identification and then called the sheriff’s office.
Deputies told the men that it wasn’t their responsibility to attempt to identify people and that if they approach someone while being armed it might affect the way they are perceived.
Deputies returned the men’s firearms, which they’d taken when they arrived, after they confirmed they were allowed to carry them.
No one was charged in the incident; the next day a deputy called a supervisor at U.S. Protection Services to inform the company of the incident.
When U.S. Protection Services was reached for comment Friday, a man who identified himself as Jason Thatcher said he wasn’t allowed to “talk about anything.” When asked if there was someone who could talk about the incident he reiterated that we wasn’t allowed to talk and hung up the phone as he was being asked what his position with the company is.
According the company’s website, U.S. Protection Services provides armed and unarmed stationary guards, mobile patrol, special event security, community patrol service and fire watch service.
The company was founded in 2003 and according to the website “employ[s] over 500 Officers as of 2019.
Lancaster Eagle Gazette
