Logan County Sheriff Randy Dodds reports that a 37-year-old West Liberty man died Tuesday evening after a shooting in his home stemming from a domestic violence incident.
Lee Brokaw, 37, was pronounced dead inside the residence after deputies and paramedics responded to 2681 Myeerah Trail, West Liberty.
At 10:38 p.m., Brokaw’s stepson, Logan Instine, 18, called 911 requesting officers and paramedics respond to the home and stating that Brokaw was “most likely deceased.”
Instine also told dispatchers during the 911 call that he shot his stepfather, in apparent self-defense after Brokaw threatened to kill Instine and his 17-year-old sister while holding a gun.
“You have to understand, I had to protect my family. I couldn’t allow him to do anything to them. My family means everything to me,” Instine told dispatchers during the emotional 911 call.
Instine stated that Brokaw had been acting aggressively during the evening toward himself, his sister, and his mother, Bethany Brokaw.
During an argument, Instine said his stepfather stated, “I’m going to get the guns out.”
Instine said as the incident escalated, his stepfather had a gun and was pointing it at Instine and his sister, telling the two stepchildren to “get on our knees.” Instine said his mother was able to intervene at that time and then Brokaw threw the gun on the ground.
Instine believed that his stepfather was going to get another gun from another room.
“I had to stop him. I had to protect my family,” he said in the 911 call.
The 18-year-old told dispatchers that in the shooting, he had used a “9mm Smith and Wesson, it is somewhere inside.”
Instine stated that he, his sister and his mother were all safe outside the residence.
Deputies are continuing to investigate this matter with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, who arrived to assist with processing the scene.
No arrests have been made and Sheriff Dodds said the officials want to ensure that all evidence at the scene corroborates the witnesses’ statements.
He said Bethany Brokaw and the sister’s statements aligned with Instine’s statements to detectives in separate interviews.
Sheriff Dodds also indicated that deputies had been called to the Myeerah Trail residence multiple times recently for domestic issues and also neighbor complaints, with a commonality of individuals having trouble with Lee Brokaw.