AKRON, Ohio — An officer sustained minor injuries to his leg following a police-involved shooting Sunday night at an apartment on Sherman Street.
Akron police tells News 5 the incident began around 11:30 p.m. They said officers were called to do a welfare check on a teen on Grant Street.
While on the scene, officers heard gunshots nearby on Sherman Street. When officers went to check that out, they encountered a 33-year-old man with a gun running out of an apartment. The man was arrested at the scene, but he learned he was not part of the shooting.
Police said a 45-year-old man was allegedly responsibly for the shooting and arrested Monday afternoon.
When police later entered into the Sherman Street apartment, they found a 27-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to her leg. She was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Akron FOP President Brian Lucey tells News 5 that one officer also sustained some minor injuries from the incident.
In a statement to News 5, Akron Police Chief Brian Harding said:
"Often, our officers are confronted with difficult decisions in the interest of public safety and in the most extreme cases, those decisions can mean life or death. This was a dangerous interaction that had the potential to become much worse if not for the actions of our officers."
Mayor Shammas Malik released the following statement:
“I am deeply thankful that our officers are safe after responding to a call last night in which they were fired upon and responded using their weapons. I am also thankful that a young woman injured before officers arrived does not appear to face life threatening injuries. Two suspects have been apprehended, and we will work to ensure they are held accountable for their actions. Anyone perpetrating violence - towards our officers or anyone else in our community – must be held fully accountable. Today, my thoughts are with the involved officers and their families processing this dangerous situation, and with the injured victim, who I hope has a speedy recovery.”
Akron police said the two officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure. The Office of Professional Standards and Accountability will be conducting its own internal investigation on the incident.
