(Police Reports - Photo Illustration/MetroCreative)

POMEROY — Authorities are investigating the alleged suicide of an Albany man on child pornography charges while being arrested.

Meigs County Sheriff Scott Fitch reported that on Tuesday, at approximately 2:43 p.m., deputies and detectives with the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office were executing a search warrant for child pornography at the residence of Patrick McDaniel, located at 33635 Haning Road in Albany.

Detectives had been conducting an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation into McDaniel. Detectives conducted an interview with McDaniel while at the scene and confronted him with the evidence they had uncovered during the investigation. McDaniel reportedly gave a full confession to detectives to possessing a large volume of child pornography on his computer and cell phone.

Upon the conclusion of the search warrant and the interview, uniformed deputies attempted to handcuff McDaniel after advising him he was under arrest. At this time, McDaniel began violently resisting arrest and was attempting to take the deputies’ handgun. A second deputy then came to assist in the altercation and during the struggle, McDaniel was able to gain possession of one of the deputies’ firearms. Detectives and deputies drew their weapons and issued verbal commands to drop the firearm. McDaniel refused to follow commands from deputies and placed the gun to his head and fired a single shot.

Meigs County EMS was immediately summoned to the scene where McDaniel was pronounced dead shortly after. One of the deputies involved in the altercation was transported to O’Bleness Hospital and was later released.

The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office requested the Meigs County Coroners Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to conduct a full independent investigation of the incident. McDaniel was facing 48 felony counts of having possession of child pornography ranging from infants up to 5 years of age. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) is a network of federal, state and local law enforcement officers dedicated to investigating and prosecuting crimes against children. The ICAC Task Force Program aims to protect children from online exploitation, child pornography, and other crimes facilitated by the internet. The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office is a participating agency in the ICAC task force. Detectives that are involved in

the task force have received specialized training in investigating online exploitation and child pornography cases.

“I feel very strongly about protecting our children from these types of crimes and we will continue to investigate these types of cases and have them prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” said Fitch. “I am extremely proud of the work that our detectives have put into making these child pornography cases and cases involving the exploitation of children. We have worked a multitude of these cases since I have been in office and will continue to work these diligently to protect our children.”