Today, Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson released his findings on a high-profile police shooting that occurred in North Ridgeville back in May. The incident involved the fatal shooting of Jason Norris, a Tennessee man wanted in connection with the murder of his girlfriend.
The series of events unfolded on May 8 when North Ridgeville police were contacted by Tennessee authorities. They alerted the department that Jason Norris was suspected of killing his girlfriend, stealing her vehicle, and possibly fleeing to Ohio. Shortly after this warning, FLOCK cameras in North Ridgeville identified the stolen Jeep Compass, which had a Tennessee license plate.
Officers Omar Vazquez and Chad Siebeneck were dispatched to a home on James Road, a location familiar to the police due to its ties to Tennessee and its history of incidents. Upon arriving, they spotted the stolen vehicle in the driveway. As they prepared to take action, Norris and another man emerged from the house
According to Tomlinson’s report, both officers commanded Norris and the other individual to stop. While Norris’s companion obeyed, Norris defied the officers’ orders, heading toward the Jeep. He opened the vehicle door and retrieved a handgun. In a tense exchange, Norris fired a shot at Officer Vazquez and turned his weapon toward Officer Siebeneck. Vazquez responded with a single shot from his rifle, hitting Norris in the lower right chest. Siebeneck also fired but missed.
Norris was immediately treated by officers at the scene before being transported to UH St. John Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. The Bureau of Criminal Investigations handed the case over to the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office on September 18, and the review concluded that the officers’ actions were justified.
Citing U.S. Supreme Court law, Tomlinson declared, “The issue for me to resolve is whether North Ridgeville Police Officers Omar Vazquez and Chad Siebeneck used unreasonable force by firing their service rifles at Jason Norris, including the shot fired by Officer Vazquez that caused Norris’ death. I find that they did not.”
Tomlinson emphasized that Norris posed a direct threat, actively resisting arrest and attempting to kill the officers. The prosecutor also highlighted the seriousness of Norris’s offenses, including being wanted for murder and possessing a firearm as a felon. “The offenses Norris had committed could not have been more serious,” he concluded.
North Ridgeville Police Chief Mike Freeman expressed pride in his officers, stating, “I’m very proud of my guys, where there was great restraint shown — where two shots were taken, suspect went down.”
The house on James Road, owned by Norris’s grandmother Ethel, has long been a focal point for police activity. “Every one of us knows that address. That’s just how often we’ve been there,” said North Ridgeville Police Lt. Anthony Lee.
The case is now officially closed, and Prosecutor Tomlinson’s findings clear Officers Vazquez and Siebeneck of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting.