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Fredrick Howk III

Age : 33

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/28/2025

Location : St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, 1044 Belmont Avenue

City : Youngstown

County : Mahoning

State : Ohio

Agency : Mercy Health Police

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Suicide

Event : Suicide under police duress

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/28/2025, 33-year-old Fredrick P. “Ricky” Howk III died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the emergency department at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital in Youngstown. Howk's identity was not initially released but was subsequently confirmed through his family and later reporting.
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The incident occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. in a restricted portion of the emergency department. The initial Youngstown Police Department report classified the call as a “mental health transport / assist,” indicating that the police encounter was connected to a mental-health intervention rather than an unrelated criminal investigation.
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A Mercy Health police officer was conducting what Youngstown police subsequently described as a routine check of the emergency room. During the encounter, Howk gained control of the Mercy Health officer's firearm. Police said Howk immediately used the officer's gun to shoot himself.
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Hospital personnel immediately attempted to save Howk, but he died from the gunshot wound. The Mahoning County Coroner's Office responded and participated in the death investigation.
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Youngstown police initially released very little information about the death. The first public police report did not disclose that anyone had been shot or killed and stated only that Mercy Health officers briefed responding Youngstown officers and Detective Sgt. Dave Sweeney. Youngstown detectives and crime-scene personnel then took over the investigation.
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On 09/03/2025, Youngstown police publicly confirmed that the death was a suicide and disclosed that Howk had disarmed a Mercy Health police officer before shooting himself. Youngstown Police Department assumed responsibility for investigating how Howk was able to gain control of the officer's firearm.
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Howk's sister subsequently confirmed his identity and said he had two sons.
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The death qualifies for inclusion as suicide under police duress because Howk was undergoing a police/hospital security intervention described in the police record as a mental-health transport/assist when he gained control of a Mercy Health police officer's firearm and killed himself.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND
The Mercy Health police officer whose firearm Fredrick Howk III obtained has not been publicly identified. Youngstown police specifically investigated the circumstances under which the officer was disarmed.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.police1.com/investigations/man-in-ohio-hospital-disarms-officer-fatally-shoots-self
https://www.wfmj.com/story/53051021/police-man-fatally-shot-himself-with-mercy-health-police-officers-gun
https://www.tribtoday.com/news/local-news/2025/09/ypd-hospital-shooting-was-suicide
https://www.tribtoday.com/news/local-news/2025/08/youngstown-police-hospital-offer-few-details-on-incident/
https://www.tribtoday.com/news/local-news/2025/09/man-in-hospital-shooting-had-history-of-mental-health-issues/