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Samuel Ranson

Age : 50

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/27/2022

Location : 100 block of East Point Drive

City : Charleston

County : Kananwha

State : West Virginia

Agency : Charleston Police Department

Officer(s) :Josh Clendenin; Ward Childress

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during arrest

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/27/2022, Charleston Police Department officers Josh Clendenin and Ward Childress shot and killed 50-year-old Samuel Paul Ranson after police went to the 100 block of East Point Drive to arrest him on a felony malicious-wounding warrant. Ranson moved into a wooded area after officers arrived, and police deployed K-9 Axel to locate and apprehend him.
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The warrant stemmed from an incident five days earlier, on 08/22/2022. According to court documents, another man reported that Ranson had cut him on the arm and chest during an encounter near 177 East Point Drive. The injured man and witnesses identified Ranson, and police obtained the malicious-wounding warrant. These allegations had not been adjudicated when Ranson was killed.
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Charleston Police Chief James “Tyke” Hunt said officers were familiar with Ranson and anticipated that he might move into the woods when police attempted to arrest him. K-9 handler Josh Clendenin deployed Axel, who tracked Ranson into the wooded area. Ward Childress accompanied Clendenin.
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According to police, Axel located Ranson and a close-range struggle followed involving Ranson, the dog and the officers. Hunt said Clendenin noticed the confrontation after Axel alerted toward Ranson's location. Police alleged that during the struggle Ranson produced a handgun and fired, fatally wounding Axel.
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Hunt described the confrontation as occurring at approximately arm's reach from Clendenin and Childress. He acknowledged that police could not determine where or at whom the shot that killed Axel had been intended. Both Clendenin and Childress then opened fire on Ranson.
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Ranson was struck by the officers' gunfire and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police recovered a firearm and maintained that Ranson was still armed and extremely close to the officers when they fired.
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K-9 Axel also died from the gunshot wound. Axel had worked with Clendenin for approximately one year. Charleston officials subsequently characterized the dog's actions as having protected Clendenin and Childress during the close-range encounter.
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Charleston Police Department investigated the shooting and announced that the completed investigation would be submitted to the Kanawha County Prosecutor's Office for independent review.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
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Josh Clendenin was a Charleston Police Department patrol officer and Axel's handler. Clendenin and K-9 Axel had worked together for approximately one year when Ranson was killed. Clendenin was specifically identified as one of the two officers who fired at Ranson.
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Ward Childress was the second Charleston Police Department patrol officer directly involved in the wooded-area confrontation. Police confirmed that Childress and Clendenin both fired at Ranson after the gunshot that killed Axel.

SOURCE LINKS :

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https://www.wsaz.com/2022/08/29/charleston-police-releases-name-man-shot-killed-during-officer-involved-shooting/
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https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/kanawha_valley/man-who-killed-police-k-9-was-wanted-for-malicious-wounding/article_3c70512c-27e2-11ed-9441-233f127e395d.html
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https://wvmetronews.com/2022/08/29/hunt-k-9-axel-saved-the-lives-of-2-patrol-officers/
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https://wvpublic.org/west-virginia-police-department-mourns-loss-of-k-9-axel/