Man Shot By Girlfriend After Forcing His Way Into Apartment, Threatening Her And Small Child With Gun

NILES, OHIO – A man was shot by his girlfriend after he broke into the apartment where she and a small child were in the early morning hours of February 23^rd. The woman called 911 around 1:15 a.m. and authorities released a partial transcript of the conversation.

Dispatcher: “911, where is your emergency?”

Caller: “Uh, yeah, my boyfriend has been shot.”

Dispatcher: “Pardon me?”

Caller: “My boyfriend has been shot.”

Dispatcher: “Who shot him? Are they still there?”

Caller: “It was me.”

Officers responded to the 100 block of Royal Mall Drive and found a male with a gunshot wound to the torso. The man, identified as Rodney Cole, Jr., 27, of Youngstown, told police that he had been shot at a bar.  Officers noticed that the back door of the apartment had been kicked open, there was a shell casing inside the apartment, and Cole had a handgun in his waistband.

Niles Police Captain John Marshall indicated that Cole apparently came to the apartment with bad intentions, forcing his way inside. “Early information is pointing to, that subject broke into the apartment and was met by the resident of the apartment and a shot was exchanged.”

The woman, whose identity was not released, was upstairs with a small child when Cole found them and drew a gun. The woman, who also had a gun, shot Cole. He was transported to a local hospital in serious, but stable condition.

Cole has been charged with aggravated burglary. Police say Cole and the woman who lives at the apartment share a child together. “It looks like there is some history of domestic violence or at least cases that may have involved domestic violence here at the police department,” Marshall said.

Cole was booked into the Trumbull County Jail on a domestic violence charge in September 2020. According to Niles Municipal Court records, he pleaded no contest and was found guilty of a reduced charge. The investigation into the most recent incident is continuing.