A jury has convicted an Akron man of reckless homicide in connection with the shooting death of a 51-year-old Canton man who police say was caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between two other men. Daquan Rucker was found guilty following a two-day trial that began Oct. 27, and he is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 9.
Rucker was convicted of reckless homicide along with having weapons under disability and tampering with evidence, according to cantonrep.com. Richard A. Poole, 51, of Canton, died after being shot in the chest during a gunfight at an apartment in the 800 block of Alan Page Drive SE, the outlet reported. Police have said Poole was caught in the middle of a gunfight between Rucker and another man, Larry Grimes Jr.
Charge Shifted From Murder to Reckless Homicide
Rucker was initially taken into custody and charged with murder, according to an earlier report from cantonrep.com covering the May 24 shooting. A later report from News-Talk 1480 WHBC said Rucker was instead indicted on a reckless-homicide count, not murder.
That earlier Canton Repository report on the shooting also noted that police had not released details about what led to the gunfire and that the investigation remained ongoing at the time. Accounts of where exactly the shooting took place have varied: the station's report described it happening in a parking lot at the Skyline Terrace Apartments, while other identifying details have pointed to the Skyview Terrace Apartments parking lot. Reports have also differed on Rucker's age, with one account putting him at 31 and another at 30.
Second Suspect Awaits January Trial
Larry G. Grimes Jr., 45, of Canton, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, felonious assault, having weapons under disability and tampering with evidence, per the same cantonrep.com account. His trial is scheduled for Jan. 11. Unlike Rucker, whose case has now concluded with a jury verdict, Grimes still faces the murder charge connected to Poole's death.
Ohio law addressing reckless homicide, under Ohio Revised Code Section 2903.041, states that a person may not recklessly cause another person's death. The available statutory excerpt does not spell out the full penalty structure for the offense.
Rucker's sentencing on the reckless homicide conviction is set for next Monday, Nov. 9. No outcome has been reported yet, and the case against Grimes remains pending ahead of his January trial date.
