NORTH RIDGEVILLE, OH — North Ridgeville Police shot and killed a man near Paula Boulevard and James Road on Wednesday evening.
According to North Ridgeville Police Chief Mike Freeman, who held a press conference on Thursday morning, the department received a call from law enforcement in White County, Tennessee, about a man wanted for a violent crime. A FLOCK camera caught the man's girlfriend's vehicle on Center Ridge Road.
Watch the press conference, which ends where it does due to technical difficulties experienced during the livestream.
According to Freeman, Jason Norris allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend in Tennessee before stealing her car and fleeing to Northeast Ohio.
Around 7 p.m., police located Norris at his grandmother's home. Police say they confronted him outside, and Norris opened fire.
Officers fired two shots at Norris, with one striking him in the torso, according to Freeman.
Norris died as a result of his injuries.
No officers were injured.
His grandmother said she had no idea anything was wrong when Norris showed up unexpectedly at her home Wednesday.
"He just got out of prison, and he came to see me," said Ethel Cantley. "And he said he loved me, he walked out the door and they shot him."
BCI’s Crime Scene Unit and Special Investigations Unit responded to the scene.
According to police, neighbors said Norris was asking where his grandmother lived, and it is not believed he knew the area well.
Cantely said her grandson hadn't been to the area in about 15 years and said he previously lived in Elyria.
She estimated he was only at her house about 15 minutes on Wednesday before the shooting.
"I was in the house, and when they started shooting, I looked out the window and he was laying in the driveway," said Cantley. "I'm upset. Disbelief. Sick."
She said a family member helped her piece together what happened.
"I called his brother in Tennessee, and he told me Jason had shot his girlfriend and that was her car he came up here in," said Cantley. "I didn't think he'd ever hurt anybody, but you can't never tell."
Police said they have a long history of calls to the house where Norris was shot.
The veteran officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave.
Freeman expressed his appreciation for their professionalism.
"We were told by Tennessee that this is an armed and dangerous suspect," said Freeman. "We could very easily have said we couldn't find the vehicle or not attempted to find the vehicle, but our guys took it upon themselves to find the vehicle, put themselves in harm's way and, unfortunately, the person is deceased, but the officers acted very professional."
