Man accused of kidnapping Ohio nurse shot dead during FBI rescue
kali9/iStockBy IVAN PEREIRA, ABC News
(CUYOHOGA FALLS, Ohio) — A man accused of kidnapping a 45-year-old Cuyohoga Falls, Ohio, woman was killed by authorities during a successful rescue attempt at a Louisiana hotel Tuesday night.
James Hawley, 47, of Cleveland, was shot as police and FBI agents closed in to arrest him. He also had been accused of shooting and killing Nichole Bronowski’s mother, Norma Matko, 69, who was found dead in her Barnesville, Ohio, home the same day her daughter was reported missing, authorities said.
“The boots on the ground, and all of the cooperation that went up to the federal level, worked diligently … to bring this to a conclusion today,” Belmont County Sheriff David Lucas told reporters at a Wednesday news conference.
Bronowski was reported missing on Thanksgiving, when officers discovered her mother’s body. FBI Assistant Special Agent Jeffrey Fortunato told reporters the nurse’s disappearance appeared to be a kidnapping.
Searches of Hawley’s social media accounts revealed photos he posted of himself with guns, indicating he wanted to kill cops, Fortunato added.
Investigators tracked the suspect to a hotel in Pineville, Louisiana, and deployed officers from Ohio and FBI agents from Louisiana.
Fortunato said one FBI agent was shot during the incident and is recovering at a local hospital. No additional details about the tactics at the hotel were provided, and the matter is still under investigation, he added.
Lucas said investigators are still trying to determine a motive but acknowledged that Bronowski and Hawley did have a past relationship. Lucas declined to provide additional details.
“Everyone involved,” Lucas added, “they worked hard to put this to rest.”
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