Darnell Pate Jr., 30, was fatally shot on January 29, 2024, outside Napoleon’s Bar at 4150 Germantown Pike in Jefferson Township, near Dayton, Ohio. Deputies found Pate dead with apparent gunshot wounds inside a vehicle around 2:50 a.m. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office described the attack as a targeted assassination and said investigators believe perpetrators lay in wait for Pate to leave the bar after his shift.

Authorities reported a stolen car, later found abandoned nearby with evidence inside, was believed to have been used by those involved. Two suspects had been identified and charged; one was indicted on multiple counts including murder and felonious assault, while the other was identified as the getaway driver. The sheriff’s special investigations unit led searches and arrests and worked with the prosecutor’s office to present evidence to a grand jury.

Pate had worked in several law enforcement roles across Southwest Ohio, including interim chief of the New Vienna police department and positions in Addyston and New Holland. If anyone knew Mr. Pate or witnessed activity near Napoleon’s Bar that night, please come forward with information.