Michael John Bruno, 75, was the victim of domestic violence and aggravated murder after he
      was shot and killed at his residence of 1894 Lealand Ave., by his son on Sept. 17, 2022.
      Following are the police reports of the initial investigation into the murder that resulted in
      Bruno’s son, Michael N. Bruno, being convicted of shooting his father to death in the
      Mahoning County Common Pleas Courtroom of Judge Anthony D’Apolito.
      The son, now 50-years-old, was sentenced to 18 years in jail.
      On Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at 7:31 a.m., all available Boardman Police Officers were dispatched to 1894 Lealand Ave after dispatch received a 9-1-1 call from 49-year-old Michael N. Bruno stating he had just shot his father and did not know where the gun was. [Bruno] stated his illness made him do it.
      Ptl. Evan Beil was first to arrive on scene, with Det. Greg Stepuk just behind him. Officer Beil observed a male, later positively identified as Michael N. Bruno, sitting on the front lawn wearing boxer shorts, flip-flops and a navy blue, short-sleeve polo shirt and holding his cell phone. dditionally, he had blood covering his hands and arms, his shirt and on his face and head. Bruno shouted that he was unarmed and was not a harm to us.
      Officer Beil drew his department issued handgun and ordered Michael N. to lay on his stomach with his arms out to his side. He complied and was secured in handcuffs. Asked who else was in the house and he stated just his father.
      Officer Beil advised Michael of his Miranda rights. Det. Stepuk made entry into the residence to check on the reported gunshot victim, and render aid if necessary. He found the victim, identified as 74-year-old Michael J. Bruno, deceased.
      It was discovered Michael J Bruno had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and he was determined to be deceased by both members of Lane Medics and the Boardman Fire Department.
      After being mirandized, Michael N. Bruno was seated in the rear of a patrol car and Officer Beil began to speak with him.
      Asked where his father was, the son (Michael N. Bruno), stated he was laying in the bedroom. When Michael N. was asked what happened he advised he’s been sick for the last week and a half and took two rapid tests at home. Officer Beil inquired if Bruno was referring to a Covid test and he stated yes, rapid Covid tests.
      Michael (the son) stated he may need medical attention too and said his father needed medical attention; and they both needed medical.
      Michael N. stated he did not know if he had been shot. I did not observe any obvious signs of trauma on Michael N., other than a scab on the top of his head and a few scratches on his knuckles.
      Michael N. was asked how the gun came into play and he stated ‘the disease’ made him have a gun. Michael N. denied being in an argument prior to shooting his father.
      Officer Beil asked Michael N. “So you just shot him then?”
      Michael N. stated “yes.”
      I asked where he had shot him and he stated he did not know.
      Officer Beil then sat down in his patrol car and advised dispatch that he had a male detained when Michael N. stated, unprompted, “I do have other guns, I’m trying to remember. I’ve always had a gun, but the police know that.”
      Michael N. then stated “and my baby Glock that I had when I was off duty”. I asked Michael N. what gun he used to shoot his father and asked if it was a rifle, a pistol, shotgun, what?
      Michael N. stated “I used the baby Glock.”
      Michael N. was asked where he obtained the baby Glock from?
      Michael N. stated, “I bought it when I was a police officer.”
      Police inquired as to where Michael N. was a police officer at and he stated he was a police officer at Mahoning County.
      When asked how many years he had worked there, he stated “This disease is taking over America.”
      Michael N. then stated that he had Covid twice and he had called off work at Cole Pepper (spelling unknown) Security at the VA Clinic. According to Bruno, he has been employed there as an unarmed security guard for two weeks.
      Michael N. then stated, “Oh my god, this is so hard, will they get my dad help?” I advised Michael N. the medics were working on his father and he stated “I want him to live.” Officer Beil was asked by Michael N. “Can you please get me out of this area, so I can talk to you. This is being more traumatic on me. I’m on OPERS disability. I’m no threat to no one. My mother is in a nursing home”.
      Michael N. then stated, “My dad wanted to call last night to get me to the hospital, but he listened to me, he should have called.”
      Officer Beil then drove Michael N. to the parking lot of Heritage Presbyterian Church, 1951 Mathews Rd, to speak with him further. Once at the church, Michael N. asked if we could please call Eric Cuccierise who was, Michael N. stated is his best friend, who lives in Seattle, Washington. Michael N. then asked if he had been shot and Officer Beil told him that he did not see any gunshot wounds on him.
      Officer Beil then asked Michael N. what his date of birth was and he began coughing. He was advised to take deep breaths and he stated he did not want to get the police officer infected. Officer Beil assured Michael N. not to worry, as he had been vaccinated when he stated, “the vaccinations don’t work.” Bruno went on to state that he had been vaccinated twice and got his boosters. Eventually Michael N. stated that his date of birth was 06/28/1973.
      Officer Beil asked Michael N. to describe how this all happened.
      Michael N. stated “I’m not a criminal...I’m a Sherriff’s Deputy, (who was) let go under just cause, because of politics from Mahoning County and I was at YSU. That had to have been like, 2006.”
      Michael N. then stated he had Covid twice and was down for a month. Michael N. was asked when he came back to from that, and he claimed he had been down for like two months and had been turning disability, and collecting OPERS, that he had been working 62 hours a week, and repeated 62 hours a week.
      Ptl. Beil told Michael N. that had to be tough and he stated “Yeah, the stress and Cole Pepper doesn’t want to give me time off of work.”
      Michael N. was asked “Then what happened?”
      He replied that his dad had no pulse when he had left him.
      Ptl. Beil asked Michael N. if he and his father had been arguing prior to him shooting his dad. Michael N. stated “The voices in my head with this disease kept at me, then the ringing of the ears, the ringing of the ears, the ringing of....
      “I tried to doctor it at first, so I could stay home, so I could just go to work and do my job.” Michael N. went onto explain how [his father] wants to go out and have beer everyday. Michael N. stated that he and his dad had their little arguments, but nothing severe and commented how, “we were getting along yesterday, it was fine.”
      Michael N. stated he told his dad to give him the rapid Covid tests and stated, “This is so hard.”
      Officer Beil asked Michael N. if that was today and he stated no, his dad had given him a rapid Covid test yesterday and the day before and how they came back negative.
      Michael N. thought it was a false positive. Asked what happened next, Bruno stated, “All this week, my dad has been pushing me to work more and just keep working and I’m like dad, I’m doing my best.”
      Bruno was asked how many times he shot his father and he stated, “I don’t recall, I think twice.”
      Bruno was asked if his dad was laying in bed when he shot him and he stated, “yeah, just like all the other Covid stuff that other people.”
      When asked if his dad was awake or asleep when he shot him, Michael N. stated he was not sure then claimed he was “semi-asleep.”
      Michael N. then requested police call his best friend from Seattle, Washington and how his name is on all of his policies.
      Michael N. then stated he wanted his father taken care of and requested a water so he was provided with a beverage and he stated he was no threat to us and, “I’m on the good guys side.”
      Prior to being seen by Lane Medics, Michael N. stated his blood glucose has been elevated for a while. Michael N. stated, “at work they would say I’m a good guy and I do my job”.
      When asked how he liked his job, Michael N. stated that he liked it and he does his job. Michael N. then stated, “I don’t want my face on the news” and “I’ve got my dad’s blood all over me.” Ptl. Mike Salser then arrived on scene at the church parking lot, along with Lane Medics to evaluate Michael N.
      Michael N. stated, “Is my dad alive, I hope he’s alive” and told the medics, “I was a cop.”
      While Michael N. was being evaluated, police asked Michael N. if he knew where the gun was at and asked him to think real hard.
      Michael N. responded by saying he did not know where he put it, but it may be in his dad’s room on the floor.
      While being seen by medics, Michael N.
      asked, “you guys going to come down and visit me?” and stated he wished to speak with the investigating officer.
      Michael was advised he would get the chance to talk to the investigating officer and he was secured back inside of my patrol car and transported to the Boardman Police Department booking to be interviewed by Det. Stepuk.
      Michael N. then said “today was his day off and asked if he could go to...medical. Asked Michael N. to clarify his request, Bruno stated that he wished to go to medical wherever he was going.
      Additionally Michael N. asked, “I’m not going to the jail after everything is said and over, am I?”
      Michael N. commented how he has severe PTSD and he was just at the VA doing his job and, “I’m more worried about my dad than anything else.”
      While being transported to the police station, Bruno stated he had a checking account and that his mom was in assisted living, a nursing home.
      Officer Beil asked Michael N. what nursing home. Michael N. stated he did not wish for us to tell his mom anything. Additionally Michael N. exclaimed, “I just want to go back and live like a doctor.”
      When asked what he meant by that, Michael N. did not answer.
      Upon escorting Michael N. to booking, he was provided with a glass of water and he stated, “I’ll just stay here and live forever.”
      Michael N. sat on the bench in booking and was given a ‘rights form’ for him to sign. Officer Beil planned on seeing if he wished to provide a written statement. The form was placed on the booking room desk and police had Michael N. stand up to look at the form and requested he sign it.
      Bruno stared straight ahead and became non-respondent. Eventually Michael N. stated, “let me just figure this out” and held his head with both hands on his temples. Michael N. then stated, “I’m going back to school and I’m going to stay in school and definitely going to stay in school and study and stay busy.
      Police had Michael N. sit back down in the booking room bench and asked what he did when he was with the Sherriff’s Office. Michael N. did not answer. He was asked if he worked the jail, the road, JJC or the courts. Michael N. did not answer and instead stared straight ahead while he squinted.
      Officer Beil asked Michael N. if he heard anything police said and he stated, “I’m just going to walk to get back to the VA Medical Center. He then stood up and I stated, “No!”
      He then ignored instructions and attempted to walk past Officer Beil. Bruno was told him to sit down, however he did not, so he was directed into a seated position on the bench in booking.
      Michael N. then began manically laughing and as police handcuffed him to the wall and he stated, “This is really fun.”
      Based on Michael N.’s manic state after he was handcuffed him the wall, Officer Beil backed up when he started screaming, “F--- you, F--- you, and I’m going to live forever you Mother F-----.”
      Michael N. then stated he was going to grab a gun, and reached towards the direction of my duty belt. I was out of Bruno’s reach and my duty weapon had previously been secured in the sally port’s gun locker.
      Michael N. then stated, “I’m just going to piss,” and began urinating on the wall and floor of the Boardman Police Department booking room.
      While he was urinating, Michael N. yelled, “Ahh, I love pissing” and “I’m going to stay pissing and live forever.”
      Due to Michael N. being handcuffed to the wall, and him actively urinating, Officer Beil backed up further to avoid being splashed. Based on Michael N.’s outburst and his violent behavior, additional police were requested in booking.
      Officer Beil requested an ambulance respond to booking. Michael N. began repeatedly shouting different variations of, “F--- once and f---twice and live forever” and lunged for and reached-out in an apparent attempt to grab me.
      Police Chief Werth, Sgt. Patton, Det. Stepuk, Ptl. Salser, Det. Doran, and Det. Kridler arrived in booking to assist. Michael N. began dancing and flailing his arms around, repeating the same variations of, “f--- once, f--- twice/ live once/ live twice/ you mother f-----s/ like a mother f-----r.”
      Michael N. then stuck out his tongue and stated “this was nice,” before sitting down in the puddle of urine. He then began rolling around in the puddle of urine, flailing his arms and his legs.
      Det. Stepuk attempted to speak with Michael about the shooting when he stated, “I’m going to keep saying this the way you wanted.”
      Michael N. then stated, “I’m going to stay with the police” and “amen and love you and live again.”
      Michael N. then closed his eyes in an attempt to make it look as though he passed out/ lost consciousness. However, Officer Beil noted his head did not fall, instead he gently lowered it so it would not hit off the tile.
      Det. Stepuk and Officer Beil called his name several times, however he did not respond. It was noted Michael N. was breathing, and police conducted a sternum rub in an attempt to wake him back up.
      Michael N. reacted to the agitation by squeezing his eyes tightly, but did not open them. He stopped squeezing his eyes shut when the sternum rub was ended.
      After a few minutes, Michael N., opened his eyes and stated, “what did I do” and asked me, “so are they going to put me in jail after medical?”
      Michael N. was advised that he would be going to jail following his treatment at Mercy Health. He was then evaluated by medics and his blood sugar was found to be in the 400’s.
      It was determined based on Michael N.’s behavior and his elevated blood sugar, that he would be transported to Mercy Health for treatment and evaluation. Bruno was handcuffed to a cot and transported via Lane Ambulance to Mercy Health/Youngstown. Ptl. Salser followed the ambulance and Officer Beil rode in the back.
      Det. Stepuk who advised based on the circumstances, Michael N. would be charged with aggravated murder and domestic violence. He was advised he was under arrest.
      The Ambulance Ride
      I, Ptl. Beil #2050, rode in the back of the ambulance while Michael N. Bruno was being transported to Mercy Health/Youngstown. Also present were Lane Medics and they asked Michael N. how he was doing and he stated, “terrible.”
      According to Michael N., he is on numerous medications for issues related to his diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol, but he denied being on any anti-depressants, anxiety medications or psych meds.
      When asked if he knew the year, Michael N. stated correctly it was 2022, but he was unable to advise who the current president is and was unable to say how many quarters were in a dollar.
      Michael N. then became despondent and was mostly quiet for the remainder of his ride to the hospital.
      Michael N. began to stare directly at me (Officer Beil) and the handgun on my duty belt.
      Michael N. did tell me about 20 minutes prior to shooting his father, that he did attempt suicide by ingesting a bottle of Tylenol PM, however he spit most of them out.
      Additionally, Michael N. stated that he had never thought about killing his father prior to
      today, and the voices had not told him to kill his father until today.
      Michael N. was medically cleared and discharged from the hospital. Ptl. Chaffee transported Michael N. to the Mahoning County Jail.
      Search Warrant
      On Sept. 17, 2022 at approximately 7:45 a.m., I, Det. Chad Doran, was asked to respond to 1894 Lealand Ave., to assist with a fatal shooting investigation. Shortly thereafter, I was contacted by phone by Det. Stepuk. He asked me to respond to the Boardman Police Department to begin application for a search warrant for the residence.
      At 0919 hours, I contacted the Honorable Judge Joseph Houser by phone. Judge Houser granted the search warrant. The search warrant was executed, and several items were seized (all items secured by Det. Kridler during evidence processing, including---
       •Ten 40-caliber bullet cartridges in a bedroom (of the deceased) at the Lealand Ave. residence.
       •A glock 40-calber pistol in the same bedroom.
       •A bullet fragment inside a mattress in the victim’s bedroom.
       •A projectile on the bedroom floor.
       •Two projectiles inside the victim’s bedroom wall; as well as other items.
      All listed items were packaged and later secured into BPD evidence by Det. Kridler.