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Police say ex-fire chief apparently killed self after releasing woman
By Katie Byard
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Friday, Sep 26, 2008
Tied up and desperate, David Ridenour managed to dial 911 from his cell phone.
Moments before — about 1 a.m. Wednesday — Ridenour witnessed the kidnapping of a co-worker by her ex-boyfriend, he told police.
Ridenour, who works at an Akron ambulance company, said the man told him that ''he would probably be dead by morning, but she and I would be fine.''
About 6:30 a.m., police found the body of Donald R. Harris, 52, about 3 feet off Akron-Peninsula Road in Boston Township.
He apparently shot himself in the chest, Copley Township Police Chief Michael Mier said.
Harris, of Garrettsville, was the former chief of the Garrettsville Freedom Nelson Joint Fire District in Portage County.
Police said Harris had released the 25-year-old kidnap victim on a rural road in Boston Heights. Harris had then driven her car to the spot off Akron-Peninsula Road.
The roommate of the victim said Harris was married with two children and two grandchildren.
Harris arrived at the Mobil Martin ambulance company on Kelly Avenue in Akron shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday, police said.
He tied Ridenour's hands and legs with half-inch-wide plastic strips, then took the woman to her apartment off Jacoby Road in Copley Township, police said.
The woman's roommate, Vickie Griffin, said she was asleep on the couch when she heard a whimper and woke up to find Harris and her gagged roommate in the apartment.
''He was pointing a 45 [caliber handgun] at me,'' Griffin said. ''He said, 'Come on, let's go upstairs.' I thought, 'That's it . . . we're dead.' ''
Griffin said her dog started barking and her cats were circling. In the confusion, Griffin somehow became separated from Harris and her roommate.
Griffin escaped the apartment by leaping from a second-floor window.
''I punched out the screen of the window,'' she said. ''The next thing I remember, I was hanging from the second-floor window by one hand and then I remember looking down — thinking, I hope the bush doesn't get me — and I hit the ground.''
She called 911 from outside the apartment about 1:20 a.m.
Copley police, who also had been alerted by Akron police, arrived minutes later, but Harris and the victim were gone.
''What we think happened is the suspect apparently realized [the roommate] was outside and she was calling the police,'' Mier said.
As a precaution, several nearby apartments were evacuated. A SWAT team set up and used a remote-controlled camera to search the woman's apartment.
Boston Heights Police Chief Joseph Varga said the victim, using her cell phone, called police about 4 a.m. and met with Peninsula police in Boston Township about three miles from where the body was found.
Listen to the 911 calls about this incident
Katie Byard can be reached at 330-996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com.
Tied up and desperate, David Ridenour managed to dial 911 from his cell phone.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 09:27 AM, 09/25/2008
Wait....This was his girlfriend at one time,but he is married with children and grand kids?....sounds to me like his family is the real victims here. Let this be a lesson to the home wreckers,only bad things will come of an affair.
Posted 10:04 AM, 09/25/2008
Has nothing to do with an affair.... the man was sick in the head obviously and now the family suffers! Lots of fire fighters and police officers sometimes have mental & control issues! Prayers to both families!
Posted 02:36 PM, 09/25/2008
I agree this man was very sick.
The Great City in, OH
Posted 02:49 PM, 09/25/2008
She still made herself part of the problem! If she had good morals, she would not have been involved with this married man, thus not in this situation. Granted, if the guy was single the situation may have been the same but the fact remains that he wasn't. Is there no more shame!?
Boston Hts, Oh
Posted 03:49 PM, 09/25/2008
Lack of moral character isnt the issue here. This young lady isnt Jesse Davis! Why would you try and blame the victim?Did you ever consider she was mis-led about his marriage? Married men DO lie ya know...Maybe thats why he was her "Ex- Boyfriend"?... Something to consider before passing judgement. Personally Im happy to hear the victim escaped with her life, Thanks to her Friend! And Vickie if thats you up there ^..If you're Vickie Griffin...I'd be proud to call you friend!
San Antonio, TX
Posted 04:33 PM, 09/25/2008
Y'all assume she knew he was married. It's not like men ever lie about their marrital status. Could she have dumped his sorry excuse of a man when she found out he was married. Na,couldn't be--HUH.
Posted 06:06 PM, 09/25/2008
This is an alarming and tragic incident. I know there will be many people who will have harsh and unkind words to say, and I pray that you keep those comments to yourself. You may not have any respect for the deceased because of what he did, but please remember he left behind a family. A family who doesn't need to read those types of comments in their time of grief. Have some respect for them. I knew Donnie for 15 years and grew up with him as one of my mentors at the fire department. He came to my wedding. He wasn't a bad guy. Unfortunately we will never know the chain of events leading up to this. So please just remember to keep your rude comments to yourself and let the family grieve in peace. For those of you who have spewed your vile thoughts before thinking, your next post/blog on this site should be an apology to the Harris family for your lack of couth and respect of their feelings. It is tragic enough that they are having to deal with this situation at all, then having to read the rude comments people are making on a situation they know nothing about, SHAME ON YOU. Did your parents forget to teach you manners or how to have sympathy for the bereved? Grow up. My thoughts and prayers remain with the Harris family, and Kourtney, I hope you are able to get through this incident and move on. Thank You, Sam Hall
Posted 07:07 AM, 09/26/2008
As one the family I would like to thank everyone for their support and prayers.
Posted 09:25 AM, 09/26/2008
MY MOTHER IS A HERO. regardless if the reasons why it happened it has. Nobody knows the situation beteen the two expect them. we can speculate all day. that is private and their business. Please, be respective to the parties involved here and limit your comments.
Akron, oh
Posted 11:56 AM, 09/26/2008
I am 50, if I date a 25yrs old "girl" I'm a nut job. If my 25yr old daughter dates a 50yr old man she's a nut job. Just my opinion, I am probably wrong, but expect people to judge. This is a public forum and the victum lived, it serves the public to say "this was a bad idea".
Boston Hts, Oh
Posted 03:40 PM, 09/26/2008
Thank You for your public service Ralph. Im sure it's a lesson learned for the victim. And Yes, this is a public forum,not a condolence page...So to all of you ready to pounce on Ralph...Dont!
akron, oh
Posted 05:02 PM, 09/26/2008
Sam - a greiving family does not go online to read comments. If they do, they expose themselves to people's opinions, which they may or may not like. Greiving IS NOT done online.
Posted 11:31 AM, 09/27/2008
As part of the griefing family I have every right to know what people are saying and if it is online or not it does not matter. People grieve in many ways and until you are in a situation like this you will never know how you will react. People like you did not know my brother and if you did you would know this is not at all like hime. So there is more to this story then anyone will ever know. Unfortunetly my brother will never be able to tell us what happened and we will only hear one side of the story. And yes she knew he was married with kids and grandkids. Sam I want to thank you for your kind words for my brother and our family as you knew him and know this is something we would bever thought he would do and I honestly believe anyone that knew beliefs this also. It is a tragic event and I am sorry it happened and I am glad the victim is ok, but she is also to blame in this tragic event, not just my brother.
Posted 12:01 PM, 09/27/2008
Right! It's a forum, public. Yes, people judge. The incident was tragic and traumatizing to all concerned and my deepest sympathies go out to all of them. Still, for all of you who judge Don and label him a "nutcase", he was in general a decent person. Obviously he had a problem. So do all of us but not so severe as his. I'm not shocked at what happened here and would not be shocked if it were any one of us who are making these comments. We're all capable of doing as bad or worse given some upsetting circumstance in life. Don't tear the man apart. You weren't in his shoes. We all believe it can't happen to us but it can. It may be you next that goes haywire. I knew Don since 1988 and he was just an average guy who was active in his community, liked people and was well liked in returned. For this short period in his life things went very wrong for him causing him to hurt some people who will pay for it all their lives; but they are still alive and can heal. Don Harris payed the ultimate penalty but can't heal. Ever. Let the man's memory rest in peace and don't besmirch his or his family's name further. Live your life, be merciful to those with a problem and hope it never is you who make the headlines. Rest in peace, Donny. Walt
Posted 06:52 PM, 10/01/2008
maybe she should have not been with the whole fire department and then some
