A standoff in Jackson Township yesterday resulted in the shooting death of a fugitive and a non-life-threatening injury to a SWAT team officer, as reported by News 5 Cleveland and confirmed by FOX8.
During the operation, which took place at a motel in the 6800 block on Sunset Strip NW, the suspect fired shots at law enforcement after barricading himself in a room. This confrontation prompted the closure of I-77 in both directions as bullets were reportedly aimed toward the freeway. According to statements obtained by News 5 Cleveland, the highway has since reopened.
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott described the deceased fugitive as having "an extensive violent criminal history dating back to the 1970s" and praised the officers for their professionalism in a press release cited by Cleveland 9 News.
Patrick Lewis, a nine-year veteran of the North Canton Police Department, was identified by the U.S. Marshals Public Affairs Officer Anne Murphy as the injured officer. He was treated at a nearby hospital for a gunshot wound sustained to the arm, and the standoff is reported to have escalated with multiple shots fired and after the usage of rubber bullets and tear gas, as Kevin Sigler, who works near the motel, described witnessing the event unfold to News 5 Cleveland.
Investigators found two firearms and multiple spent casings in the motel room where the fugitive had been holed up as per U.S. Marshals, with further particulars of the case still sought and the public being encouraged to contact the U.S. Marshals Service with any relevant information.
