According to a police press release, an Akron police officer shot and killed a man early Saturday morning while investigating a stolen vehicle.
The victim has only been identified as a 54-year-old man. The Summit County Coroner’s Office has not yet released the victim’s name.
According to the release, officers were in the parking lot of the Duke and Duchess gas station on the eastern edge of Kenmore in the 2200 block of East Avenue shortly after 1 a.m. when they spotted the stolen vehicle.
Police did not provide any information about the sequence of events, saying only that “during the incident, an officer fired two shots from his service weapon, striking the suspect.” The press release said a loaded gun was found in the vehicle, but did not provide any information on whether the suspect attempted to use it.
The officers provided first aid, but a short time later the patient was pronounced dead on site.
The officer who fired the shots has been placed on paid leave in accordance with department policy. That officer was identified only as a 2 1/2-year veteran of the department.
The investigation will be conducted by the state Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and the case will then be turned over to the Ohio Attorney General’s office for review before being presented to the Summit County Grand Jury for evaluation.
The Office of Professional Standards and Accountability will also conduct an internal investigation to be presented to the City of Akron Police Chief and Police Comptroller for review.
Contact reporter Jennifer Pignolet at [email protected], at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet.
