The officer was stable after surgery as authorities investigated an attack that triggered a large manhunt and local school lockdowns.
GIBSONBURG, Ohio — A 25-year-old man accused of stabbing a Gibsonburg police officer was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after a more than six-hour manhunt that brought a large law enforcement response to the Sandusky County village.
Police identified the suspect as Scott Dodd Jr. Authorities said the confrontation began Wednesday morning at Union Bank on West Madison Street, across from the Gibsonburg police station. The officer was seriously injured and taken to a Toledo-area trauma center, where she underwent surgery. Officials said later Wednesday that she was in stable condition. Her name had not been publicly released.
Authorities said the officer had responded to the bank shortly before 9 a.m. when the encounter occurred. Gibsonburg Police Chief Don Karr said Dodd stabbed the officer before fleeing. The officer also fired her weapon during the encounter, according to authorities. Investigators were still working to establish the full sequence of events and had not released a complete account of what led to the confrontation.
Dodd’s flight set off an intensive search across Gibsonburg and surrounding areas. Local, county, state and federal law enforcement officers joined the response, while residents were asked to remain indoors. Officers searched wooded areas and other parts of the village as aircraft assisted from above. Authorities warned during the search that Dodd should not be approached.
The search also affected nearby schools. Woodmore Local Schools placed its buildings under what the district initially called a secondary lockdown because of the off-campus incident. The district later described the buildings as operating under shelter-in-place conditions and said all students and staff members were safe and accounted for.
School officials changed dismissal procedures while police continued searching for Dodd. Regular bus routes, student driving, walking home and after-school activities were canceled. Students were released only to parents, guardians or other authorized transportation contacts who presented identification. The district later thanked families for their cooperation and said the modified dismissal was completed safely.
Authorities located Dodd in Gibsonburg Wednesday afternoon, ending the community-wide search. Officials said he was taken into custody and received treatment for injuries. Authorities have not released a final investigative account describing all of the circumstances surrounding those injuries.
The arrest ended the immediate shelter concerns that had kept residents indoors and schools secured for much of the day. Gibsonburg Mayor Steve Fought said more than 15 law enforcement agencies assisted with the response and thanked emergency personnel and community members who supported officers during the search.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation into the encounter. Investigators had not publicly released all evidence from the bank or a complete timeline as of Thursday. The officer remained stable following surgery, while Dodd was in custody as the case moved into the criminal justice process.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 27, 2026.