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Suspect told ex he was going to kill an officer — then did

Posted at 1:11 PM, Jan 18, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-18 15:11:23-05

DANVILLE, Ohio -- Minutes before Officer Thomas Cottrell was killed, police received the ominous call.

A woman in Danville, Ohio, said her ex-boyfriend took off with his weapons Sunday night and was looking to kill an officer, the Knox County Sheriff's Office said.

Authorities scrambled to warn Cottrell, who was a sixth of Danville's police department.

But less than 30 minutes later, Cottrell's body was found behind the Danville Municipal Building, the Sheriff's Office said. His weapon had been stolen, and his police car was missing.

Authorities identified the suspect as Herschel Jones III. After a brief foot chase, police arrested Jones.

It was not immediately clear whether Cottrell was targeted specifically, or if the assailant was trying to kill any police officer.

The Sheriff's Office is investigating the case.