Early yesterday morning, a 14-year-old boy was shot and wounded by a Cleveland police officer during an investigation into a series of car break-ins. Cleveland EMS confirmed they responded to the incident involving a gunshot wound to a juvenile on East 146th Street. 19 News reported that the Cleveland Division of Police's Third District Vice Unit was investigating over thirty "fresh" car break-ins in the Midtown Neighborhood.
Cleveland police identified two juvenile suspects who had previously been arrested for break-ins and had cut off their ankle monitors, as stated in a press release. The officers discovered a White Kia Sportage, reported as stolen, parked at a vacant home on East 146th Street. Detectives attempted to approach the vehicle as three individuals exited but returned to the car and fled, according to Cleveland19.
The situation escalated when the vehicle carrying the suspects returned to the area, and officers tried to make contact. Cleveland police reported that the teen was found asleep or unconscious in the driver's seat, woke up and put the car in drive, struck a police cruiser, attempted to push it with the Kia, reversed into a garage, and drove towards the officers. An officer then shot the suspect in the right shoulder. The police department clarified that a firearm was retrieved from inside the vehicle, as reported by WKYC News.
Following the shooting, EMS transported the injured teen to a hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and later released, now in custody. The Cleveland Division of Police Use of Force Investigation Team is investigating the incident, during which the officer involved was placed on administrative leave, News 5 Cleveland reports.
