911 tape suggests man killed by deputy was drunk and violent before the shooting

The corner of Bennington Pike in Ravenna Township, near where the shooting took place. Lyndsey Brennan/The Portager

911 tape suggests man killed by deputy was drunk and violent before the shooting

- Lyndsey Brennan

Matthew Morse’s spouse told a 911 dispatcher her husband was acting violently and was likely intoxicated on the evening of July 4, when deputies shot and killed Morse after he allegedly refused to drop the weapon he was carrying.

The Portage County Sheriff’s Office released a recording of the call in response to a public records request. The office has not yet released an unredacted incident report or further details about the shooting.

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