A 39-year-old man from Cincinnati has been identified as the suspect shot by Akron police on Monday morning.
According to the Summit County medical examiner, the man has been identified as Marcus Smith.
What happened?
The shooting happened shortly before 9 a.m. in the Summit Lake neighborhood on Ira Avenue near Lakeshore Boulevard.
Just moments prior, officers spotted a stolen Toyota Camry near Kenmore and Lakeshore boulevards, and a short pursuit occurred, police said.
RELATED: Akron Police: Officers fatally shot suspect in stolen car who fired at them
According to Akron Police Sgt. Utomhin Okoh, officers tried to stop the white Toyota.
"Several rounds were fired at them. They returned fire, striking the individual at least once. The officers did attempt to perform life-saving measures," Okoh said.
Officers administered first aid until EMS arrived and transported him to Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Okoh said. The man later died from his injuries.
No officers were injured, according to police.
Three officers have been placed on paid administrative leave while Ohio BCI investigates the shooting.
"Anytime something like this happens, it's tragic for both sides, the officers and the individual," Okoh said.
The investigation results will be turned over to the Ohio Attorney General's Office for review before being submitted to the Summit County Grand Jury for evaluation, which could take several weeks to a few months.
The Office of Profession Standards and Accountability will conduct a separate investigation. The outcome of that investigation will be given to the police chief and the Akron police auditor.
Tuesday afternoon, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik released the following statement regarding the shooting:
Yesterday morning, as officers were responding to a stolen vehicle call, they were fired upon several times by a suspect who has now been identified as 39-year-old Marcus Smith. Three responding officers fired their weapons, and Mr. Smith ultimately passed away from injuries as a result. In this case, officers responded to an incredibly dangerous situation, and I am deeply thankful that neither the officers nor bystanders were harmed by Mr. Smith’s actions.
Body camera footage of the incident will be released in the coming week, as required by the city charter. Per established process for deadly force incidents, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident and will present their findings to a Summit County grand jury. Per procedure, an internal investigation into the use of force will be conducted and ultimately shared with the city’s independent police auditor.
Today, my thoughts are with the officers who responded and the neighborhood residents who witnessed the interaction, and my condolences are with Mr. Smith's loved ones.
Wednesday evening, Smith's family released a statement following his death:
My brother, Marcus L.Smith, tried often to get help for his mental illness and depression since he was dismissed from the doctoral program in the spring of 2023 at the University of Cincinnati, where he taught sociology.
Marcus recognized his weaknesses, so he took matters into his own hands. He admitted himself into the hospital for mental evaluation, partly because of his bouts with paranoia. He twice sought medical help, but there were no plans to deal or cope with his situation following his treatment.
As a consequence, his life slowly unraveled. He lost his support system: a caring stepfather, who served as his confidante; a grandmother who was his best friend. Ultimately, he was forced to rely on medications that only worsened his condition.
Marcus became more and more depressed after receiving a buyout from the University of Cincinnati. He couldn’t accept how close he was to achieving his goal only to have it all taken away from him. He would say the university took his life away.
Marcus was born in Akron and grew up in Cincinnati. He was a published author, a college coach and played on a Cincinnati Roger Bacon’s state championship basketball team that beat LeBron James and St. Vincent-St. Mary.
He was a remarkably accomplished young man, with multiple master degrees. In 2015 Marcus was a graduate assistant for Akron University. Marcus' love for people and sports was unmatched. From 2015 - 2107 Marcus was an Olympic staff coordinator, working along with some of the greats like the late legend Kobe Bryant.
Marcus was a devoted family man and friend who always supported others who were in need. Yet, he talked about ending it all because he couldn’t get the help he needed. We implore everyone to make an effort to recognize the signs of mental health, which is often difficult.
My brother was an intelligent man who struggled with identifying his illness. Our family asks everyone in the Akron community to check on your loved ones and support them, sometimes when they can’t help themselves.
