Son of Billionaire Carl Lindner III Killed in Adams County Police Shooting

Christopher David Lindner, 40, was pronounced dead at the Lindner family property in the 4100 block of Brush Creek Road in Manchester, Adams County, after an officer-involved shooting that followed a high-speed pursuit on March 9, 2026, authorities said. The Ohio State Highway Patrol said, "After repeated attempts for the subject to surrender, he exited the residence with a firearm at which time an officer-involved shooting occurred."

Adams County deputies and Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers responded after a 911 call about a safety concern around 3 p.m., then spotted Lindner in Peebles and pursued him at speeds exceeding 100 mph before the chase ended at the family farm, according to law-enforcement accounts. West Union Police Department officers also were at the scene during the subsequent barricade and standoff that preceded the shooting.

WLWT reported the fatal shooting occurred around 5 p.m. at the family-owned farm. The Adams County Coroner confirmed Lindner was pronounced dead at the scene. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation completed a criminal-investigation review, and Adams County Prosecutor Aaron E. Haslam reviewed the BCI materials and applicable law before announcing his office's conclusion that the use of deadly force was legally justified and that no criminal charges would be filed against West Union Police Department officers or Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers.

Multiple law-enforcement statements and reports have left key details unresolved: the Ohio State Highway Patrol did not specify how many times officers fired, nor did it identify whether West Union officers or state troopers discharged their weapons, and official releases did not state whether Lindner fired at officers. The BCI investigative documents are being uploaded to the bureau's officer-involved shooting webpage, and those files are expected to provide additional operational details when publicly posted.

Family and court records provide wider context to the confrontation. The Lindner family released a statement published by WLWT that read in part, "Our family is deeply saddened and devastated by the death of Christopher David Lindner. Christopher was a loving, kind, Christ Jesus follower, husband, and father of four who has suffered from mental illness. We thank you for your prayers and appreciate giving us time to grieve." Court filings and local reporting show Tabitha Lindner obtained a protective order first on Oct. 8 that was reinstated after a full hearing on Nov. 3, and the court ordered Lindner to surrender firearms. Hamilton County records show he faced an aggravated-menacing charge in December 2019 after being photographed pointing a handgun at his wife; he pleaded not guilty and the case was dismissed about six months later.

Local records and emergency calls also reference alleged actions earlier the day of the pursuit, including a reported threat to construction workers outside a Mt. Orab dispensary that preceded the Peebles sighting and chase. Security-camera descriptions and court documents cited in reporting describe behavior the family and filings tied to substance-abuse and mental-health struggles, though officials have not released autopsy or toxicology results.

As the BCI files are posted and the Adams County Coroner's full report becomes available, officials have yet to release body-worn camera footage or a complete timeline of the 911 call, pursuit, standoff, and shooting. Prosecutor Aaron E. Haslam's legal determination closes the criminal-prosecution question for now; the bureau's investigative records and coroner findings will shape what further administrative or civil reviews follow.