Saturday’s incident was the second time Moore had fired his weapon while on duty. While on a SWAT call in 2010, Moore fired his AR-15 rifle at a man armed with a shotgun when the man pointed the weapon at officers.
“He has been a good officer, well-disciplined,” said Trotwood police Capt. John Porter. “We have been happy with his performance.”
Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer has said officials do not yet know who shot whom, how many shots were fired or whether the suspect fired.
The suspect, Deontay Cochran, 21, was shot in the left arm after confronting the detective and Moore, according to Plummer, who said Moore and the detective fired at the suspect. The detective, who authorities decline to identify, was struck in the upper torso.
Both Cochran and the detective were taken to Miami Valley Hospital. The detective was said to be in serious but stable condition, according to police. Cochran is expected to be released from the hospital today.
Cochran’s family said Tuesday they were shocked at the allegations and could not believe he fired at police.
Meanwhile, Porter said that Moore, an overnight supervisor, is on paid administrative leave, pending the results of an administrative investigation, also being done by the sheriff’s office.
Moore has worked in law enforcement for more than 12 years. He was hired by Trotwood in 2006 and promoted to sergeant in September. Prior to that, Porter said Moore worked as a corrections officer for both the county and state. Moore served eight years in the Army. When promoted to sergeant, Moore resigned as a member of the Montgomery County SWAT team because of the added responsibilities of his new job, Porter said.
In the December 2010 shooting, while deployed with the SWAT unit, Moore fired a rifle at a Germantown man who pointed a shotgun at two SWAT members during a standoff. That suspect survived, and Moore was cleared by an administrative investigation by the sheriff’s office.
On Saturday, Moore was responding around 1:30 a.m. to Leo’s II on reports of a disturbance. When he arrived, simultaneously with another Trotwood unit, they spotted an armed Cochran crouched between two cars near the bar’s entrance, police said. Cochran fled with Moore and the undercover detective in pursuit when the shots were fired. A semiautomatic pistol with an extended 30-round magazine was recovered from the shooting scene.
Joseph and Rita Martin, Cochran’s grandparents, said Tuesday they were shocked by the allegations and did not know what happened during the shooting. No one from the family has been able to talk to Cochran since then, they said.
They described a skinny kid who was more of a follower than a leader.
“Deontay mostly wants to fit in,” Rita Martin said. “Deontay is no fighter.”
The Martins insisted Cochran was not a gang member.
Cochran had been arrested at least once by the Safe Streets Task Force, according to Dayton police records. On July 11, 2010, officers watched Cochran make what appeared to be a drug deal in an alley near Main Street and Great Miami Boulevard.
Cochran fled on foot, but was caught and Tased. After his arrest, officers found a baggie containing 27 gel capsules of heroin in his pocket. They also found drug paraphernalia and a magazine for a handgun during a search of his bedroom.
Cochran was charged with heroin possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Because it was his first adult felony offense, he was granted intervention in lieu of conviction, which he completed in April 2011.
In another incident, Cochran was a passenger in a car that was stopped Feb. 17 for speeding. Police discovered there was a warrant for his arrest. When Cochran got out of the car, he refused to take his left hand out of his pants. A struggle ensued. When police had him in handcuffs, a handgun fell down by his right foot, the report said.
On Monday, Cochran was indicted on one count of carrying a concealed weapon and one count of resisting arrest, both stemming from the Feb. 17 arrest. The CCW count is a fourth-degree felony, punishable by up to 18 months in prison. The other charge is a misdemeanor.
Plummer said Tuesday that Cochran had a few minor scrapes with the law as a juvenile, but nothing major.
The Martins said their grandson was trying to turn his life around. He did not finish high school, but had been working on his GED. He also joined their church, Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist, in early March, and was baptized March 25. He was working in a factory late last year, but was laid off before Christmas, Joseph Martin said.
Cochran has a son who will turn 2 in August. The Martins said the financial stress of fatherhood led him to deal heroin.
“Which is a poor excuse,” Joseph Martin said. “But it wasn’t because he was using.”
The Martins said they were praying for everyone involved in the shootings.
“I have nothing against the police,” Joseph Martin said. “Thank God for them.”
But the Martins are also praying for the truth to come out.
“We believe in our hearts that he didn’t fire no gun,” Joseph Martin said.
About the Author