An Alliance man was shot and killed by police Tuesday afternoon after authorities say he brandished a handgun during an altercation at a local car dealership, refused to stop for officers and produced a firearm during a confrontation outside an apartment complex.

Alliance Police Chief Akenra X provided additional details about the shooting on Johnson Avenue during an interview with reporters Tuesday evening, describing a series of events that began around 3:30 p.m. at Wally Armour’s car dealership.

Three Alliance police officers were involved in the confrontation. One deployed a Taser, while two discharged their firearms. All three officers were uninjured.

The suspect, whose identity has not been released, died at the scene.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handling the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.

Incident begins at Alliance car dealership

According to X, police were initially called to the Wally Armour car dealership on State St after a man allegedly became involved in an argument with employees and displayed a handgun.

“It appears that the suspect went to Wally Armour’s car dealership and headed out with some of the employees, and at one point brandished a handgun, and that’s why we were called,” X said.

The chief confirmed the man displayed the firearm before leaving the dealership.

Police have not disclosed what prompted the argument, who was involved or whether anyone at the dealership was threatened directly.

X declined to provide additional information about the people involved in the initial confrontation.

Officers subsequently located a vehicle believed to be connected to the incident near Buckeye Avenue.

According to X, officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver failed to pull over.

“They came across his vehicle somewhere around Buckeye, and turned on him and lit him up, and he refused to stop for the traffic stop and pulled in here,” X said.

The driver continued for a short distance before entering the parking lot of an apartment complex on Johnson Avenue.

Police describe confrontation before shooting

X said officers approached the suspect’s vehicle and ordered him to place his hands on its roof because of the earlier report involving a handgun.

The suspect refused to comply, according to the chief.

“Well, they gave him commands to put his hands on the roof of the car because we had seen he had brandished a handgun at the car dealership,” X said.

The chief said the suspect apparently opened the vehicle’s door during the confrontation.

Officers then deployed a Taser, but X said it did not appear to have the intended effect.

“Refused to comply, and at one point he was tased and didn’t seem to respond to that, and then he reached around and came up with the gun,” X said.

Two officers subsequently discharged their firearms, striking the suspect.

The chief confirmed that police recovered a firearm at the scene.

However, investigators have not determined whether the suspect fired his weapon during the confrontation.

“It appears that he may have fired one, but we’re not certain yet, and we’ll wait for BCI to determine that,” X said.

The exact number of shots fired by officers also remains under investigation.

“The total of three officers: one with a taser, two with weapons, and I can’t tell you how many shots were fired at this time,” X said.

The chief said none of the officers was injured.

Neighbor describes hearing rapid gunfire

James Starkey, who lives near the shooting scene, described the moments he heard gunfire and witnessed officers responding to the neighborhood.

For James Starkey, a routine afternoon cleaning his garage quickly turned into a frightening experience as police vehicles rushed down his street and gunfire erupted nearby.

“I was just in the garage trying to, you know, clean up and stuff, and saw the cops fly down, sirens and gunshots, and I ran inside,” Starkey told Jordan Miller News.

Starkey said he had an idea where the gunfire was coming from but could not determine who was shooting.

Concerned about his safety, he went inside his home and retrieved his own firearm.

“I ran inside and grabbed my own firearm just in case. But you never know,” he said.

Starkey estimated hearing approximately eight gunshots before he made it back inside.

“I counted eight before I got back in the house. I think it was eight,” he said.

He described the gunfire as occurring in rapid succession.

“One right after the other. It was intense. It was fast and it was repetitive.”

His estimate has not been independently verified. Police have not confirmed the number of shots fired.

Starkey, who has lived in the neighborhood for three years, said he had never witnessed a police response of that magnitude.

“Absolutely, it was insane. The response was fast, and it was — there was a lot,” he said.

Asked whether he had experienced anything similar during his time in the neighborhood, Starkey responded, “Not to this volume, no, absolutely not.”

Neighbor remembers suspect as friendly

Starkey said he was familiar with the man who died, describing him as an older neighbor with whom he had limited interactions.

“He was an older gentleman, friendly to me anyway. Never really caused any problems that I know of to us, but who knows?” Starkey said.

He expressed disbelief when asked about the circumstances police described leading up to the shooting.

“No, especially a neighbor, like I’ve known him. But I mean, no, I could never. It’s hard to fathom.”

Starkey emphasized that he knew the man only briefly and did not claim to know the circumstances surrounding the earlier incident at the dealership.

X said he believed the suspect lived in one of the apartments at the complex, although that information had not been definitively confirmed Tuesday evening.

Chief addresses officers’ actions

During the interview, X was asked whether anything could have been done differently before officers resorted to deadly force.

The chief said he believed officers had attempted other measures to gain the suspect’s compliance.

“I don’t think it could have been. He was given verbal commands. He was tased, and none of those things brought compliance. And then he reached for a gun, so he really left the officers no choice,” X said.

That account reflects the chief’s preliminary assessment. BCI’s investigation will examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including the actions of the suspect and officers.

X also expressed sympathy for the deceased man’s family and acknowledged the impact the incident could have on the officers involved.

“It’s sad. Any time a human being loses his life, it’s sad. We regret that. We regret the situation to our officers and what they’re going to go through, and most importantly, we’re sorry for the family members,” he said.

State investigation underway

BCI was called to investigate the shooting, including determining whether the suspect fired his weapon and establishing the number of shots discharged.

Authorities have not released the suspect’s name.

X said identification would be withheld until the man’s family had been notified, a process he said is typically handled through the coroner’s office.

The chief also said the coroner would determine when the man’s body could be removed from the scene.

Asked whether the suspect had previous encounters with Alliance police or other law enforcement agencies, X said he did not know.

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional details about the dealership incident, the suspect’s actions and the officers’ use of force have not been released.

“I believe more information will be available in the near future,” X said. “But for right now, we’ve said about all we can say.”