A Clark County, Ohio, man shot and killed his mother and a sheriff’s deputy before he died in a fire that engulfed his mobile home, according to a Clark County prosecutor’s investigation.
The shooter was identified as 27-year-old Cole White of South Vienna. He shot his mother multiple times, killing her, and later fatally shot one of the police officers. Deputy Matthew Yates, 41, a 15-year veteran of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, was struck by a bullet in his jaw and chin area, ultimately causing his death.
Deputies responded to a 911 welfare check at a mobile home in Harmony Estates Mobile Home Park, east of Springfield, on July 24, 2022, after a neighbor reported several shots fired inside the mobile home.
The initial call described an unknown person breaking into the residence; that person turned out to be White’s 47-year-old mother, Jodie Arbuckle, who had gone in to check on her son after being unable to reach him.
Before the incident, White had reportedly prior contact with law enforcement over mental health and firearms concerns, and his mother and her fiancé, Kristin Mills, had been checking on him regularly and helping cover his rent.
Mills revealed to the investigators that White did not attend a hearing related to firearm charges in Greene County, so his mother called the Clark County Sheriff’s Office to do a welfare check. After the investigation, it was confirmed he had legally purchased three firearms: two handguns and a rifle.
Bodycam footage showed several standoffs between White and responding officers. Yates, who wore a helmet, pleaded with White multiple times to come out before eventually forcing entry into the home; he was shot almost immediately and went down inside. Deputies tried to reach him, at one point even using an armored vehicle to strike the trailer to distract White.
However, at some point during the hours-long standoff, the mobile home caught fire, and Yates remained inside until he was finally pulled out after 2.30 p.m. He was flown to Miami Valley Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. White died in the fire that consumed the home.
Deputy Yates’ body was escorted with a massive law enforcement agency procession from the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office to the Littleton & Rue Funeral Home in Springfield.
Code Blue Cam shared the bodycam video from the incident on their YouTube channel and has drawn over 360,000 views, with many expressing shock after watching the raw footage of the police’s encounter with the shooter. Despite several attempts to subdue the shooter, many viewers felt police could do more to handle the situation.
One viewer commented, “Police looked like they need A LOT more training. People yelling everywhere. Just pure chaos.” Another one added, “I served for 23 years; we were taught to engage and overwhelm the shooter the second he leaves cover and/or fires into a stack. Shoot back or die trying to neutralize the bad guy. Backing out and leaving a brother is not in my wheelhouse.”
One appreciated and wrote, “Man, the visuals to help understand fully what’s going on are so helpful. Thank you, guys.” “I’d rather self-delete than harm my mom,” posted another viewer. Another one chimed in, “Waiting 4 hours to get an injured, possibly dead officer is BONKERS!!”
The cause of the fire was not determined, while other mobile homes around were safe. Meanwhile, the department acknowledged the officers did everything in their power to handle the situation; hence, the force used and the plan to handle the attack were justified.
Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently verify the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public video record.
