Armed Man Flees SWAT Raid, Shoots at K9

Reconstructed timeline

Times from synchronized camera clocks and dispatch records.

1. 5:29 AM

   SRT arrives to serve the narcotics warrant

   Marion County SRT / MARMET Drug Task Force approaches Hellinger's North Swain Avenue home in the pre-dawn dark; earliest clocked bodycam begins (report/news: felony narcotics search warrant).

2. 5:33 AM1:35

   Two women inside the trailer are detained

   Officers detain two women found inside the residence as the operation unfolds; occupants are secured off the main confrontation.

3. 5:34 AM2:20

   Drone overwatch of the scene begins

   DJI drones launch and hold aerial overwatch of the residence and railroad tracks; they roll through the standoff and shooting (multiple DJI files, 05:34-05:54).

4. 5:37 AM3:21

   Officers order the subject to raise his hands

   Officers command Hellinger to put his hands up near the tree line by the tracks as the confrontation forms.

5. 5:37 AM

   Hellinger argues with officers on the tracks

   A prolonged standoff: Hellinger argues with officers on the railroad tracks while they give repeated commands.

6. 5:41 AM5:17

   Final K-9 warnings before force

   Officers give final warnings referencing the dog and the gun ('you pull that gun, we're shooting you') moments before the K-9 is deployed.

7. 5:42 AM5:27

   K-9 released, Hellinger fires, officers return fire

   The K-9 is released to detain Hellinger; he fires at least two shots toward the dog and officers; roughly ten officers return fire, striking him. Radio broadcasts 'Shots fired. Shots fired by the police and suspect.' Physical exchange spans ~05:42:32-05:43:04 across cameras; the radio broadcast is…

8. 5:45 AM7:29

   Subject secured; handguns found on/near him

   Officers secure Hellinger on the ground, discover handguns under and near him, and apply handcuffs.

9. 5:46 AM

   Officers cut clothing and begin rendering aid

   Officers cut open Hellinger's clothing to check for wounds and begin emergency medical care.

10. 5:48 AM7:49

    Three handguns reported recovered from the subject

    An officer reports over the radio that three handguns were recovered from the subject - central to the later self-defense finding.

11. 5:50 AM

    CPR and emergency care on the tracks

    Officers and medical personnel perform CPR and emergency care on Hellinger on the railroad tracks before he is transported; he is later pronounced dead at the hospital.

12. 5:52 AM8:51

    Officer confirms a beanbag round was fired

    An officer confirms firing a less-lethal beanbag round during the encounter - accounting for a non-lethal munition amid the lethal exchange.

13. 6:03 AM

    SWAT announces the warrant and clears the house

    With the tracks scene secured, SWAT makes loud search-warrant announcements at 256 N. Swain and begins clearing the house, garage, staircase and loft.

14. 6:31 AM

    Long gun found in a concealed space

    During the interior search an officer finds a long gun stored in a small makeshift bathroom/utility space with plywood-and-foil-insulated walls, near a crossbow.

15. 12:00 AM

    BCI opens the independent investigation (2022-2876)

    At local officials' request, the Ohio AG's BCI Force Investigations Unit takes over the independent inquiry (Case 2022-2876), processes the scene, recovers multiple firearms (including three semi-automatic handguns), reviews body-worn camera footage and conducts extensive interviews. Report/news,…

16. 12:00 AM

    Grand jury clears the officers

    Marion County Prosecutor Raymond A. Grogan presented the complete BCI file and body-cam evidence to a Marion County grand jury, which declined to bring charges, finding the officers acted lawfully in self-defense after Hellinger fired on them and the K-9. Report/news, day-level precision.