SENECA COUNTY, Ohio — A Seneca County grand jury declined on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, to indict any officers involved in the fatal July 7, 2026, shooting of Jeffrey R. Sergent, 43, of Bloomville, according to a Seneca County Prosecutor’s Office news release. WTOL 11 reported the decision Friday morning, Nov. 13, at 9:10 a.m. EST.

The shooting happened near State Route 67 and Township Road 8. The grand jury reviewed an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) investigation, along with body-camera footage, dash-camera video and audio, before concluding that no criminal charges were appropriate. Jurors found that the officers acted in self-defense and in defense of others.

Seneca County Coroner Dr. Zachary West previously ruled the death a homicide. That is a medical determination about the manner of death; it does not by itself establish criminal liability.

The deputies involved had been placed on administrative leave pending the BCI investigation. Reports on Friday did not say whether they have returned to duty. The names of the deputies who fired were not included in the prosecutor’s account.

Sources: WTOL 11; Fostoria Free Press

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