An officer with the Akron Police Department fatally shot a 54-year-old man while investigating an alleged stolen car in the early hours of Saturday at a local gas station, authorities said. The incident unfolded around 1 a.m. at a Duchess BP gas station on East Avenue when officers identified the vehicle.
During the altercation, an officer discharged their weapon twice, striking the suspect. The officers attempted Immediate first aid, including applying "at least one chest seal," according to a WKYC report. However, despite their efforts, the man was pronounced dead at the location.
Inside the vehicle, police recovered a loaded firearm. In a statement obtained by Cleveland19, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik expressed the city's sorrow, recognizing that "when an incident such as this occurs, it is tragic for our city, and everyone impacted, especially when a life is lost." Malik emphasized the complexity of officer-involved shootings and promised that more information, including body-worn camera footage, would be released in the following week.
The officer involved, who had been with the Akron Police Force for two-and-a-half years, was placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure. The identity of the officer has yet to be released. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations is to take primary responsibility for the inquiry, and their findings will eventually be reviewed by the Ohio Attorney General's Office before submission to the Summit County Grand Jury, according to a Cleveland.com article.
Akron's Office of Professional Standards and Accountability will conduct a separate internal investigation. As the investigation proceeds, the details of the 54-year-old man's identity remain withheld.
