NEWBURGH HEIGHTS, Ohio — A Newburgh Heights police officer fired his weapon Wednesday morning after the driver of a stolen car he pulled over nearly ran him over, struck the officer's cruiser with his vehicle and then sped away.
The encounter started around 10:19 a.m. when an officer responded to Harvard Avenue for a hit-skip crash involving a silver 2018 Kia Sportage reported stolen out of Lakewood, police said. About 10 minutes later, the officer located the Kia near Fleet Avenue and East 49th Street, then followed it to a dead-end street nearby.
The officer pulled the vehicle over, but when he went to get out of his patrol car, "the vehicle accelerated and tried to flee from the officer, who had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck by the vehicle," police said. "At the same time the officer fired his service weapon at the vehicle but, by all known accounts, did not strike it nor the two occupants."
The officer's cruiser was damaged when the Kia struck it while speeding away.
Police from Newburgh Heights and neighboring agencies searched for the vehicle but were unable to locate it.
The officer was not injured in the incident.
The Cleveland Division of Police is investigating the shooting for Newburgh Heights.
No further information has been released.
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