Teen in SUV that killed cop sentenced

A teenager in the SUV that hit and killed a Bluffton police officer on Interstate 75 in March 2022 was sentenced to 30 months in prison Tuesday for two felonies. Dante D. Tate, 19, of Euclid, pled guilty to receiving stolen property — a gun — and complicity to receiving stolen property — the SUV — both fourth-degree felonies. He was sentenced by Hancock County Common Pleas Judge Reginald Routson to 15 months in prison on each offense. Emin R. Johnson, 21, of Euclid, alleged to have been driving the SUV which hit and killed Bluffton officer Dominic Francis, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated vehicular homicide and eight other offenses. He is scheduled for trial April 24 in Common Pleas Court. Johnson is being held in the county jail. Two other charges against Tate — improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle and grand theft of a Toyota Prius in Orange Township after Francis was hit by the SUV — were dismissed as part of his plea agreement with the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office. Tate last August was sentenced to two years in prison by a Medina County judge after pleading guilty to receiving stolen property, the Toyota Prius, and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer in Medina County. A third man believed to have been in the SUV faces five charges and is scheduled for trial March 27. Zachary L. Love, 22, was charged with two fourth-degree felony counts of receiving stolen property, the SUV and a gun; and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. Love also was charged with having weapons while under disability. He is alleged to have had a 12-gauge shotgun without court permission, given he was determined in Franklin County Juvenile Court to be a delinquent child in committing an offense which, if committed by an adult, would have been aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony. Love also was charged with improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle. The SUV first came to the attention of state troopers on U.S. 23 in Marion County at about 2 a.m. March 31. It was traveling north at over 100 mph. The pursuit ensued. A Findlay post trooper saw the vehicle about 2:20 a.m. and began chasing it on Ohio 15 in Hancock County. The driver of the SUV then shifted course to I-75 southbound at the southern edge of Findlay and continued to drive south on I-75 toward Bluffton. Bluffton police officer Dominic Francis was trying to stop the SUV by putting stop sticks on I-75 at Bluffton when he was struck by the vehicle. Francis, 42, died later from the injuries he suffered.