LORAIN, Ohio — U.S. Marshals shot and killed a Lorain man who attacked them while the Violent Fugitive Task Force force was serving an arrest warrant at his Lorain home on Thursday morning, according to a spokesperson for the federal agency.
Marshals say the task force arrived at a home near the corner of West 21st Street and Beech Avenue around 8 a.m. to arrest 34-year-old Derrick Smith. They said that when a relative let officers into the home, Smith barricaded himself inside an upstairs bedroom.
According to Marshals, Smith attacked three officers with a wooden table leg. That’s when investigators said at least one task force member shot Smith, who was pronounced dead inside the home. Three officers went to the hospital, where they were treated for cuts and bruises before being released.
“I’m so happy all our officers are OK, but you know, it’s an intense day,” said U.S. Marshals Public Affairs Officer Anne Murphy.
Court records show Smith had a history of drug and assault charges and was currently on supervised release after spending time in federal prison for distributing cocaine, heroin and fentanyl.
According to court records, the warrant the task force was attempting to serve was issued by a federal judge on Monday after Smith failed to show up for a hearing where he was accused of violating the terms of his release.
Neither the Marshals nor police are saying how many officers fired their guns and have not released the names of the officers involved.
A News 5 reporter spoke with one of Smith’s relatives, who said the family was too distraught to go on camera. She said she believed Smith suffered from mental illness, which could have contributed to what occurred.
