Muskingum County Sheriff's Department, Ohio
End of Watch: Tuesday, July 12, 1994
Age: 48
Tour of Duty: 16 years
Badge Number: 12
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 12, 1994
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Death sentence overturned
Lieutenant Michael Lutz was shot and killed with his own gun while attempting to arrest a burglary suspect at 4:30 am.
Lieutenant Lutz was dispatched to a Maysville Pike gas station near Fink's Used Cars on a breaking and entering call. When Lieutenant Lutz approached the suspect, the man knocked him down, took his service weapon, and fired four shots. Lieutenant Lutz was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he died less than an hour later.
The suspect, a parolee, was convicted of murder and was sentenced to death, but the Ohio Supreme Court overturned the sentence. In 2004 the suspect was re-sentenced to 60 years to life. His first parole hearing is in 2050.
Lieutenant Lutz had served with the Muskingum County Sheriff's Department for 16 years. He was survived by his wife and son. His son was a deputy with the department at the time of his father's death and was elected sheriff of the same county, Muskingum, in 2008.