Ohio officer dies after shooter lying in wait ambushed police who parked
to eat lunch
[July 25, 2025]
By JOHN SEEWER and MARK SCOLFORO
LORAIN, Ohio (AP) — An officer in Ohio has died after a shooter lying in
wait ambushed him and another officer as they parked to eat pizza in a
remote, undeveloped area, Lorain police said Thursday.
Lorain police Officer Phillip C. Wagner, 35, had been flown to a trauma
center after the attack Wednesday afternoon in the city west of
Cleveland, a police statement said. It said he died surrounded by family
at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.
The shooting wounded Wagner’s partner as well as a third officer who
responded to their call for help.
Authorities say the attacker was Lorain resident Michael Joseph Parker,
28, who was pronounced dead after an exchange of gunfire. They say he
acted alone. Police have not shared details on any motive.
The department said Wagner joined the force in early 2022 after serving
with the U.S. Marine Corps and the Sheffield Village Police Department.
His colleagues called him a respected and beloved officer known for
dedication, professionalism and compassion.
Acting Lorain Police Chief Michael Failing said Wagner's life and
service “will never be forgotten."
"Our department mourns the loss of a true hero and stands in unwavering
support of Officer Wagner’s family, friends, and fellow officers during
this heartbreaking time,” Failing said.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine directed that Ohio and U.S. flags be flown at
half-staff on public buildings until sunset on the day of Wagner’s
funeral.
Police said investigators found multiple rifles, handguns and loaded
magazines in and around Parker’s vehicle, along with “a significant
quantity of improvised explosive materials.”
An autopsy on Parker showed he was killed by multiple gunshot wounds
fired by police officers, said the Lorain County coroner, Dr. Frank
Miller.
Parker’s bullet wounds “are not self-inflicted,” Miller said in phone
interview after the Thursday autopsy. “It’s during the gun battle.” He
said toxicology test results will take a few weeks.
A second officer suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was in critical
condition after being flown to the trauma center, according to a
statement issued by the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police. The third
officer was shot in the hand, according to Failing. The wounded officers
are Peter Gale, 51, and Brent Payne, 47.
Just before the ambush, Wagner and Gale parked to eat pizza on a
dead-end street in a remote, undeveloped area of Lorain that overlooks a
river and a steel mill. Payne was shot after responding to their call,
Failing said.
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This undated photo provided by the Elyria, Ohio, Police Department
via Facebook shows 28-year-old Michael Joseph Parker, who shot and
wounded three Ohio police officers in an ambush attack. (Elyria
Police Department via AP)
“Officers returned fire during the exchange, which ultimately
resulted in Parker sustaining a fatal injury,” according to
statement from police in nearby Elyria who are handling the
investigation.
Parker lived with his parents in a tidy, two-story brick home in
Lorain, a city along Lake Erie west of Cleveland. Neighbors said
Thursday they often saw him walking the family dog to the nearby
beach, but he rarely engaged in conversation, and never saw him with
friends.
“He was just an odd character,” said Jody Burnsworth, who has lived
next door to the family since 2012. “He wasn’t rude. He was just
always quiet. When he walked he looked like he was always
ultra-focused on something.”
She said she always had an uneasy feeling about him, never opening
her bedroom drapes on the side of the house that faced his home.
“I hate that I thought that,” she said. “He kind of gave me the
creeps. Sometimes he would just look at you in an odd way.”
Parker’s home was searched for more than five hours Wednesday night.
Officers broke an upstairs window and flew in a drone during the
search, Burnsworth said.
Parker’s father grew up in the house, and neighbors described the
couple as very sweet.
Burnsworth said that during the past year Parker was hired at the
post office but soon quit because the work was too difficult.
___
Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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