A 58-year-old man was shot and killed by Akron Police Thursday morning after holding his wife at knifepoint in the 2400 block of 26th St. SW.
Police were dispatched to the scene when a woman called 911 to report that her estranged husband, who had a protective order against him, had entered her home. The woman told dispatch she locked herself in a bedroom but the man had forced his way in.
When officers arrived on scene, the man was holding the woman at knifepoint. A responding officer deployed his taser, which failed because the suspect was able to hold onto the victim and the knife.
Due to the threat posed to the victim by the suspect, a second officer on scene fired his duty weapon, striking the suspect. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“This was a very unfortunate incident,” said Police Chief Steve Mylett. “Members of the Akron Police Department value every human life and the loss of life in this incident is not the outcome we wanted. A complete and thorough investigation will take place and our findings will be shared with the public. I know that the citizens of Akron expect transparency and they will absolutely receive that in a timely manner.”
The two officers involved in this incident both have approximately 7 years of experience with the Akron Police Department. Per department policy,both officers were immediately placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of an investigation.
“Regarding the officer involved shooting that occurred early this morning, we will be releasing the body worn camera footage to the public in a timely fashion,” said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. “Our residents expect and deserve the highest degree of transparency and accountability regarding any use of deadly force by an Akron Police Officer. Releasing this footage will allow the public to see for themselves what occurred, including the moments leading up to the event.”