Trucker Shot at Loves

2 NEWS Investigates is getting answers about why a local security guard, accused in a deadly shooting had a gun– when the state said he should not have been armed.
According to police, Karp said a man acting erratically charged at him Sunday night at the Love’s Truck Stop on Edwin C. Moses Boulevard, so he fired his gun and killed him.
But Karp’s application to be a security guard hasn’t been completely processed by the state — meaning he isn’t legally allowed to carry a gun.
Karp isn’t talking, but his lawyer is.
Natalie: “Why did Mr. Karp have a gun on the job when the state says he shouldn’t?
Rion: “Well the state didn’t say he shouldn’t. Joshua applied for certification and he had been told by his employer that he had received certification.”
Karp’s attorney Jon Paul Rion blames Arrow Security.
He said Karp didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to be carrying a gun on the job the night he shot a truck driver at love’s travel stop.
Rion said Karp was acting in self defense.
“We have a person for no apparent reason completely unprovoked charged in a very violent manner at my client Joshua Karp. Joshua responded in a way that most of us would by attempting to defend himself,” said Rion.
2 NEWS Investigates obtained copies of documents Karp filled out to register with the state in order to work for a security company.
He had been a guard for different companies in the past, but is required to re-register when he switches employers.
As we first reported Karp applied to be an armed guard with arrow security six weeks ago. The state hasn’t fully processed that request. A spokesman for the Ohio Department of Public Safety told me, until that paperwork is through, Karp can work as security guard, just not an armed one.
Something Rion said Karp didn’t know and was never told by his bosses at arrow security.
“They said you’ve been approved, everything is fine, work for us,” said Rion.
A spokesperson for the Department of Pubic Safety said it’s both parties responsibility to know if they are fully registered and licensed.
They said in this situation Arrow Security had to get a waiver signed by Love’s acknowledging that Karp’s paper work was not fully in and he could not carry a gun.
After asking Love’s about it, we got a statement back that said in part “new details continue to come out and we are working closely with investigators to uncover all the facts.”
We have not confirmed if that waiver was signed.
2 NEWS Investigates called Arrow Security again for comment, but have not heard back.
We also got an answer about why Karp’s application said he never had a misdemeanor when we found he was charged with receiving stolen property in 2006 and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of unauthorized use of property.
Natalie: “On his application he said he has not been convicted of a misdemeanor in the past 20 years when we found that wasn’t the case”
Jon: “There are certain crimes that would prohibit someone from becoming a security guard or a police officer; felonies, crimes of violence, none of those crimes were involved in this case.”
But why check the wrong box?
Rion said Karp was not aware his charge was a misdemeanor and it was an honest mistake.
Rion said Karp has taken more than the required number of classes to be an armed security guard and believes in protecting the public.
“Josh and his family are very concerned for the tragedy that happened. Hearts go out to all involved,” said Rion.
A spokesman for the Department of Public Safety told 2 NEWS Investigates they will conduct their own investigation– and Karp’s application to be a legally armed security guard will not be fully processed until that investigation is complete.

 

What was a fairly clean (although tragic) shooting, just turned complicated.

The guard, the security firm, and maybe the truckstop may be "contributing" on this one.

 

I don't know if I would call it fairly clean. A man acts erratic and charges at you, you kill him? Doesn't seem right to me. But maybe I'm just being a dirty hippy.

 

Not to nitpick too much but as rough as South Dayton is, calling it Ohio's Detroit is a bit much. I can name areas of Cleveland and Cincy that make S Dayton look tame.

 

I was only speaking legally, not morally.

 

Copy that.

 

Will need more details, I would LIKE to think that any gun owner wouldn't "just shoot" unless they were truly in fear of thier life. The whole "wasn't certified to carry a gun" stuff just gets him in trouble with work. It doesnt mean he was illegally carrying a gun, just that he wasn't supposed to be armed at work. Ill definitely br looking into the deatails of this when there available.

 

Smells fishy to me. Karp is just a little fish in a big pond. The gun is just a red herring. I can see the bottom-feeding lawyers all over this like a bunch of sharks. They think insurance companies have more money than water in the ocean. There's no need to make waves. Karp better clam up if he knows what's good for him. He has a whale of a problem to deal with now. The news media tossed him overboard like a bucket of chum. But they're just puffing out their blow holes.

 

If I hear anymore about this on my local news or online, I will continue to keep you all informed.

 

I never liked Loves. I can't remember if there was a security guard at the last one I was at in Ohio but the bottom line is it just doesn't look good for business when there is a open carry uniformed security guard. We can't carry in the truck so why should security guards be allowed to? If we could maybe this wouldn't have happened.

So what is really the need for an armed security guard at a Loves truck stop in Dayton anyway? Don't they have cameras all over the place, and plenty of people in them? It doesn't seem like an easy place to rob. I can see concealed carry for an emergency but armed security guards or cops in uniform will only make people feel uncomfortable.

And when a driver is stressed out and aggressive it's better to calm the situation than to add fuel to the fire. Let's face it, being on the road for just a couple of days is tough enough, parking is always uncertain, the hours are long, the traffic is tough, and getting cut off and passed on the line hour after hour is hellish.