Reports: Off-duty officer charged after shooting during fight at DuBois bar

An off-duty police officer is behind bars and is facing charges after he was accused of shooting a man in the face during an altercation with the owner of a Clearfield County bar over the weekend, according to WJAC and WTAJ.

It all happened when officers were dispatched to “Invictus,” located along DuBois Street in DuBois, early Sunday morning for a report of a shooting.

The suspect, 27-year-old Zachery Dodson, who was off-duty at the time, had shot another man during an altercation with the owner of the establishment, officials said.

When police arrived, they saw people leaving the building and trying to get away from the suspected shooter. As officers made their way to the front door, they found the building owner, Joseph Morrison, had Dodson pinned to the ground and had taken the gun away from him, according to WTAJ.

Morrison told authorities that Dodson had been acting “agitated and aggressive” prior to the altercation and was escorted out of the business. He also said Dodson was yelling on his phone and punching windows. When Morison warned Dodson about his behavior, he said Dodson screamed at him.

According to court documents, Morrison then told Dodson to leave and escorted him out of the bar. According to witnesses, while the owner and the victim were speaking with one another eight minutes later, Dodson returned and pulled out a gun, according to reports.

A struggle ensued and the gun fired once, striking the victim, Ani Myrtaj, 31 in the face. The bullet exited through the back of his neck at the base of his skull, according to WTAJ.

Myrtaj was flown to UPMC Altoona, where he was listed in stable condition before being transferred to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh.

Officials confirmed that Myrtaj is expected to survive and has undergone surgery for a broken jaw, according to WJAC.

“It could have been far worse. Thank the Lord that the individual that was shot was not fatally wounded, and nobody else was injured in the altercation,” District Attorney Ryan Sayers said to the news outlet.

Police also noted that the owner “tackled” Dodson to the ground and waited for officers to arrive on scene.

“I have the utmost respect for the actions — heroic actions — of the owner for neutralizing the threat and making sure that everybody was safe inside the establishment,” Sayers said to WJAC.

Dodson is employed with the Curwensville Borough Police Department and also works as a deputy for the Clearfield County Sheriff’s Office.

Dodson is being held at the Jefferson County Jail, for “safety” reasons, and his bail was denied. He is being charged with felony aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person and simple assault, according to reports.