CLEVELAND — A 30-year-old man was taken to the hospital early Friday morning after he was shot by an officer following an incident in which Cleveland police said the suspect lunged at a sergeant with a hatchet.
Police said the situation started around 12:20 a.m.
“Preliminary information indicates that officers were called to assist members of Cleveland Emergency Medical Service at West 117th Street and Lorain Avenue due to a male beating their ambulance with a hatchet,” police officials said in a press release Friday morning.
EMS officials were on scene at a separate situation when the heard the unoccupied ambulance being struck by something, police said.
“EMS members then observed a male with a hatchet in his hand coming toward them,” police said. “The male then threw the hatchet at the ambulance, then picked it up and continued acting irrationally, striking the ground with the hatchet and nearby wires.”
Upon arrival, officers made attempts for the man to drop the hatchet. As he began to walk away, police said officers followed him from West 117th and Lorain to West 106th and South Frontage “while attempting to gain compliance” using de-escalating techniques.
Police said, however, the man did not respond to their requests.
“Once on the bridge at West 106th Street near South Frontage, officers utilized means of less lethal force to stop the male,” police said.
A sergeant deployed a beanbag shotgun, striking the man. Authorities said, however, that it was ineffective in stopping him. That’s when two officers deployed Tasers, which they said was also ineffective.
“The male lunged towards the sergeant with the hatchet and shots were fired by one officer,” police said.
Officers and Cleveland EMS performed first aid at the scene before the man was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center in an unknown condition.
Authorities said the incident remains under investigation.
The officers involved at the scene are listed as follows:
- Officer 1: Male age 31
- Officer 2: Male age 34
- Officer 3: Male age 57 (Sergeant)
- Officer 4: Male age 28
Police said the suspect was arrested, listing felonious assault on a police officer, aggravated menacing and criminal damage to city property.
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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in an unrelated story on Sept. 21, 2021.
