As a nine-year veteran of the North Canton Police Department and a sniper on the Canton Regional SWAT Team, Officer Patrick Lewis understands the risks of the job.
Asked how often he worries about his safety, Lewis responded, “All the time. Whenever we’re out there, we do worry about our safety the whole entire time and the safety of others as well.”
That danger played out in real-time on Nov. 18 in Jackson Township outside of the Rodeway Inn on Sunset Strip Avenue NW.
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A wanted fugitive, 68-year-old James Vanest, fired shots at members of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force and then barricaded himself inside a motel room.
The SWAT team was activated and responded to the scene with Lewis operating as a shield operator.
“I was in my sniper position. I was behind a vehicle attempting to search for him through my optic, a very high-powered optic on my rifle,” Lewis said.