After the Highland County Coroner ruled the death a suicide, a former Highland County Sheriff’s deputy has submitted a motion to dismiss a case against him.
Jonathan “Dustin” Malone pleaded not guilty to reckless homicide for shooting and killing Richard Poulin mid-July last year. The Hillsboro Times Gazette reports that correspondence from Beery to a special agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation indicated Beery believes that Poulin wished to be killed in a suicide-by-cop scenario.
Poulin died after allegedly being shot by Malone after a pursuit on U.S. Route 62 that ended with Poulin’s vehicle stopped near the intersection of U.S. 62 and Ervin Road.
As Malone tried to smash Poulin's window with a baton to get him out of the car, the gun in Malone’s left hand fired, striking Poulin in the neck and killing him.