By Edgar Lee
A man was shot by his girlfriend after he broke into the Niles, Ohio apartment where she and a small child were early Tuesday morning. The woman called 911 around 1:15 a.m. and authorities released a partial transcript of the conversation.
Dispatcher: “911, where is your emergency?”
Caller: “Uh, yeah, my boyfriend has been shot.”
Dispatcher: “Pardon me?”
Caller: “My boyfriend has been shot.”
Dispatcher: “Who shot him? Are they still there?”
Caller: “It was me.”
When officers arrived, they found a male with a gunshot wound to the chest. The man, identified as Rodney Cole, Jr., 27, of Youngstown, told police that he had been shot at a bar. But officers noticed that the back door of the apartment had been kicked open, there was a shell casing inside the apartment, and Cole had a handgun in his waistband.
Niles Police Captain John Marshall indicated that Cole tried to force his way inside his ex’s apartment. “Early information is pointing to, that subject broke into the apartment and was met by the resident of the apartment and a shot was exchanged.”
The woman, whose identity was not released, was upstairs with a small child when Cole found them and drew a gun. The woman, who also had a gun, shot Cole. He was transported to a local hospital in serious, but stable condition.
Cole has been charged with aggravated burglary. Police say Cole and the woman who lives at the apartment share a child together. “It looks like there is some history of domestic violence or at least cases that may have involved domestic violence here at the police department,” Marshall said.
Cole was booked into the Trumbull County Jail on a domestic violence charge in September 2020. According to Niles Municipal Court records, he pleaded no contest and was found guilty of a reduced charge. The investigation into the most recent incident is continuing.
But remember…as we’re told by all the smartest people, guns make women less safe.
The next time a gun “rights” enthusist says “guns keep women safe”, tell them the truth and that is that guns make women less safe#gunsense pic.twitter.com/0KY8xxsD1o
— Rob Clewley (@ProudLiberal11) August 30, 2017
This post originally appeared at Concealed Nation and is reprinted here with permission.