GIBSONBURG, Ohio — A 25-year-old Gibsonburg man accused of stabbing a police officer Wednesday morning is in custody, ending an hourslong manhunt that prompted residents to shelter inside and nearby schools to lock down.
The Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office announced at approximately 3:15 p.m. Wednesday that Scott Dodd Jr. had been taken into custody.
Authorities had spent much of the day searching for Dodd after a Gibsonburg police officer was stabbed at Union Bank Wednesday morning.
Sandusky County Sheriff Chris Hilton told 13abc that Dodd allegedly stabbed the officer during the incident. The officer was taken to a Level 1 trauma center in Toledo and was undergoing surgery before 11 a.m.
Authorities had not publicly identified the officer as of Wednesday afternoon.
The stabbing triggered a large-scale search across Gibsonburg and surrounding areas.
The Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office warned residents earlier Wednesday that Dodd should not be approached and described him as armed and dangerous.
“DO NOT APPROACH,” the sheriff’s office said while the search was underway. “Residents of Gibsonburg area please contact the Sheriff’s Office or call 911 if you see this subject.”
The Village of Gibsonburg also advised residents to remain inside because of the active search.
“At this time we are advising all residents to please stay inside due to an active search,” village officials said earlier Wednesday.
Those warnings were issued before Dodd was taken into custody.
An Ohio Blue Alert was issued during the search. Authorities described Dodd as approximately 6 feet tall and 150 pounds, with brown hair, blue eyes and a scruffy beard.
The alert indicated that Dodd appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound to his right cheek. Hilton said investigators were working to determine whether the injured officer fired her weapon during the confrontation, according to 13abc.
Dodd was last reported on foot in the area of West Madison Street before his apprehension.
The search also affected nearby schools.
Woodmore Local Schools and Eastwood Local Schools were placed on lockdown while authorities searched for Dodd. Students and staff were accounted for during the lockdowns.
Multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation and search, according to Hilton.
Court records cited by 13abc show Dodd had previously been arrested in Sandusky County on an assault charge in 2025. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to undergo anger-management treatment and placed on active probation, according to the station.
Authorities have not yet announced what charges Dodd will face in connection with Wednesday’s incident or released details about where or how he was taken into custody.
The Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office is expected to release additional information about the incident and apprehension.
This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information becomes available.
