STEUBENVILLE — The 43-year-old man who reportedly abducted his 7-year-old daughter Monday in Empire told 911 dispatchers he was going to kill her and then himself before a police marksman in Medina County shot him dead, Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said Tuesday.

Authorities said Charles Ryan Alexander died after a standoff with police in Medina Township ended in gunfire. Cleveland’s WKYC-TV reported the drama played out in an Arby’s parking lot near the junction of Interstate 71 and Ohio 18.

The child, Oaklynn Alexander, was not physically harmed, and hours later was reunited with her mother. She was identified in an Amber Alert that had been issued Monday afternoon.

Abdalla said Medina County Sheriff Terry Grice “did a helluva job.”

Charles Alexander “had made threats to harm himself and to harm Oaklynn,” Abdalla said Tuesday afternoon. “At one point, because of drone footage, we could see he actually pointed his weapon at his daughter, demanding to talk to the mother on the phone so (Oaklynn) could tell her goodbye.

“In my mind, I believe he would have done it,” said Abdalla, who said he knows Alexander, his ex-wife and their family well. ‘Fortunately, the Ohio State Highway Patrol Special Response Team was on scene and an opportunity presented itself and a trooper made the decision to neutralize him.”

He said at one point Alexander did a post on Facebook live, railing about his ex-wife, her attorney and Jefferson County.

In that broadcast, an upset Alexander told whoever was watching, “Jefferson County, you did this. You did this because you took my daughter — I already lost two children, I’m not going to lose a third child,” and told his ex, “Now you’re going to know what it’s like. It didn’t have to be like this.”

Abdalla said during the 911 calls to dispatchers the girl could be heard in the background screaming, “I don’t want to die, don’t let him shoot me.”

“She was scared out of her mind,” he said. “I think she’s totally shocked now, traumatized.”

Abdalla, who was already in Sandusky, Ohio, with two of his officers for training on Monday, said the child had been snatched from her grandmother’s vehicle as she arrived home from school. He said he was told Charles Alexander tried to pull his daughter out of school at the conclusion of a Veterans Day program, “but the school was aware of custody issues going on” and refused to let him take her.

He said the grandmother collected her from school, and when they arrived at her home in Empire “Mr. Alexander was at the residence at almost the same time.”

“He pulled in right behind them and pulled Oaklynn from the rear of the car,” Abdalla said. “The child was yelling and screaming and did not want to go with her father, and multiple family members tried to stop him but were unsuccessful. He left the area, brushing against a bystander (as he fled.)”

The child’s mother, the custodial parent, had posted on social media Monday that her ex-husband “nearly plowed over my whole family to take her.”

Abdalla said when his officers were notified, they alerted law enforcement agencies throughout the state and region that a child had been taken — that led to the Amber Alert — as well as the 9-1-1 center, “and (they) began to ping his phone for us.”

“We became aware Mr. Alexander had abandoned his vehicle,” Abdalla said. “We believe he stole a U-Haul vehicle and continued north. At some point the U-Haul was picked up on (a license plate reader) and Brunswick police became aware of his whereabouts and began to pursue him. He would not stop — they tried to use stop sticks to stop him but were unsuccessful. He ended up coming to a stop in Medina.”

Neither Grice nor Medina Sheriff’s Deputy Capt. Eric Bors could be reached Tuesday for comment, but in a statement posted on the department’s Facebook page they said law enforcement attempted to negotiate with the armed suspect and had communicated with several dispatch centers by telephone.

“Multiple gunshots were fired in an officer-involved shooting (and) Alexander was pronounced dead at the scene,” they said. “No officers were physically injured during the incident.”

Abdalla echoed their comments, reiterating that Alexander “had made threats he was going to hurt his daughter.”

“He’d made calls … saying he wanted to talk to the mom so Oaklynn could tell her goodbye. He alluded to doing himself in and doing her harm. I really feel that if that patrolman didn’t take that shot when he did, that child would have been killed. I feel for the guy that had to take the shot, he’s going to have to live with it. I’m sure it’s (weighing on him) but he saved that girl’s life. I have no doubt in my mind, due to the spite he had for (his ex), that he would have killed that little girl to ruin her life. Thankfully, Oaklynn was not harmed physically. However, the emotional trauma that girl was put through was unimaginable. I’m just praying this girl can recover from that trauma and go on to lead a happy life.”

He said he arrived in Medina in record time and was able to talk with Oaklynn while she was in the back of an ambulance. Once she was released to police custody, he said he and his officers, along with Grice, sat with her.

“We drew pictures and played games, tic-tac-toe, and waited for her mom to get there,” Abdalla said, adding that when her mother came through the door, “it was very emotional. She gave that girl a huge hug. It was one of the best moments I’ve had as a sheriff.

“He’s got family, too, and I’m sure their hearts are aching today, but my only concern was that child, making sure we got her back in one piece.”