Recordpub.com - Former fire chief for Garrettsville kills self Kidnapped woman from Akron firm

By Marci Piltz

Record-Courier staff writer

The former chief of the Garrettsville-Freedom-Nelson Joint Fire District fatally shot himself along a road in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Summit County early Wednesday after kidnapping a 25-year-old woman from her Akron workplace.

Donald R. Harris Jr., 52, died of a single gunshot wound to the chest, police said.

Boston Heights Police Chief Joseph Varga said Harris' body was found at about 6:45 a.m., about three feet off Akron-Peninsula Road, in the vicinity where the female victim told police she last saw Harris.

Harris resigned as chief of the Garrettsville-Freedom-Nelson Joint Fire District in August 2005, said current Chief David Friess. Friess said Harris had served as chief for about six or seven years prior to his resignation. Friess said he was not sure why Harris resigned.

According to reports from Akron, Copley and Boston Heights police, the incident began around 1:15 a.m. Wednesday when Harris drove to the private ambulance company on Kelly Avenue in Akron, where the woman worked. Police said Harris was armed at the time and fired a shot during the kidnapping. No one was injured.

Copley Police Chief Michael Mier said an investigation thus far has revealed that the victim and Harris had possibly dated at some time. "They did know each other," he said.

Harris then fled with the woman to her apartment in Copley, also in Summit County. Mier said the woman's roommate reported waking to find the victim tied up.

The woman's roommate "realized what was going on and jumped from a second floor window," Mier said. "She ran a few buildings away and called 911 from her cell phone."

"Our officers arrived on the scene within one to two minutes to speak to her, and she was convinced they were still inside the apartment at that time because she hadn't seen them leave," Mier said. "We then established a perimeter around the building, evacuated the folks in the adjoining apartments and contacted Metro SWAT."

Mier said several attempts were made to contact Harris on his cell phone, without success.

"At the same time, we put a camera into the apartment to see if there was any activity in the apartment, and couldn't see anything," Mier said. "We also realized that Akron police had told us his vehicle was left at scene and her vehicle was gone. We couldn't find her vehicle at the complex, so we realized it was possible they had left before our officers arrived. We think when the roommate jumped, he realized police would be coming so he took the victim in her car and left the area."

A "be-on-the-lookout" was issued for the vehicle to surrounding police agencies, and Varga said Peninsula police located the victim and her vehicle around 4 a.m. in the area of Boston Mills and Hines Hill roads in Summit County.

The victim was able to tell police the approximate area she had left Harris in and, because officers knew Harris was armed, the SWAT team was called to that location to set up a perimeter and begin a search, Varga said.

"We also called in K-9's from Twinsburg, Stow and Kent, and the suspect's body was found around 6:30 a.m. about three feet off Akron-Peninsula Road," he said. "He had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was dead when we found him."

Varga said the victim was transported to the hospital by detectives from the Akron Police Department.

He also said the FBI responded to the scene because the location where Harris' body was found is part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park system, which is federal land.

"They did come out and assist with the recovery of evidence," Varga said, noting the weapon used -- a .45-caliber handgun -- was recovered at the scene.

No one at the Akron Police Department could be reached for comment on the incident Wednesday.

Hudson Hub-Times reporter Tim Troglen contributed to this report.

12.	Posted by Andereee September 28, 2008
	wow.... I find it funny that many of you want others to "keep their negative comments to themselves." I understand that this man had been a dedicated civil servant and had done much good in his community. I understand that there is always two sides to every story...... HOWEVER.... If this man had been a known sex offender....or perhaps a drug dealer....or even just some joe blow....I doubt you people would be on here claiming "he's a human being" and asking for sensitivity. WTF does it matter that the man was a "good guy"...hell the family and neihbors of Jeffry Dahmer (SP?) thought the SAME THING!! Does the fact that this man was such a good civil servant make his crime any less of a crime????? I am sick to death of the double standards! I am aware that this man's family is hurting, and while many of you may think me heartless, that is not the case. I do feel for the family in their time of loss, but let's be realistic. The man was guilty of a crime, no matter what reason. The man struck fear in his victim as well as the roomate. Does the fact that he was such an upstanding citizen make what he did any less traumatizing?