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Newburgh Heights police officer fires weapon at stolen vehicle after nearly being struck

The stolen Kia Sportage fled from the scene and the driver and occupant are still at large.

NEWBURGH HEIGHTS, Ohio — A Newburgh Heights police officer fired his weapon at a vehicle that nearly struck him during a pursuit on Wednesday morning.

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According to a release from Newburgh Heights Police Chief John T. Majoy, the incident took place just after 10:15 a.m. Police responded to a report of a hit/skip crash on Harvard Avenue involving a stolen silver Kia Sportage. The vehicle was reported stolen out of Lakewood.

Around 10:30 a.m., an officer spotted the stolen Sportage on Fleet Avenue near E. 49th Street. The vehicle headed south on Independence Road, which is a a dead-end street. The officer moved southbound on Independence Rd. and saw the Sportage coming at him. The officer was able to get the driver to stop the Sportage, but as the officer exited his cruiser, the driver of the Sportage accelerated. The officer was forced to jump out of the way to avoid being hit, firing his gun at the Sportage. The officer's police cruiser was struck and sustained minor damage.

Majoy says that by all accounts, neither the Sportage, nor its two occupants were hit by the officer's gunfire. The investigation into the shooting is being handled by the Cleveland Division of Police. 

The stolen Sportage fled onto Fleet Avenue and was not located, despite a search by several law enforcement agencies.

The Newburgh Heights police officer was checked out by paramedics and was uninjured. 

If you have any information about this incident, please contact the Newburgh Heights Police Department at (216) 641-2117. 

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