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Video shows Shaker Heights police shooting that put high school on lockdown

The city says a suspect ran towards the school and pointed a gun at an officer before being shot. Classes were not in session, but some staff members were inside.

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — City officials have released more details and body camera video of a police shooting that took place last Friday that briefly put Shaker Heights High School under lockdown.

The incident began around 3:13 p.m., when officers said they noticed a vehicle near Lee Road and Scottsdale Boulevard that had been reported stolen out of Painesville. As authorities attempted to pull the car over, the driver instead sped away before crashing into another vehicle near Lee and Parkland.

The male suspect then fled on foot towards the high school, with police observing a gun in his hand. Although classes were not in session that afternoon, several staff members were both in and outside the building.

As the suspect moved near the school's front entrance, body camera video shows two officers and their canine partner chasing him, shouting repeatedly for him to drop the weapon. The officers can be heard shouting, "Get on the ground! Drop it! Drop the gun! Drop it or I will shoot you!"

The suspect moved away from the building, but that's when police say he pointed the gun at one of the officers, who then responded by shooting him.

Police tended to the individual while the school was locked down, a protocol that was lifted not long after with no Shaker Heights educators harmed. That's when the 911 calls from inside the school stated coming in. Many teachers witnessed the whole situation as it unfolded, relaying details to dispatchers.

One call revealed the terror for a family member at home. "My husband is the soccer coach there and he just said there were shots fired at the school," the caller told dispatch. "Yes honey, the scene is secure right now, okay? We've already got the suspect, just take a deep breath. I know it's very scary," the dispatcher replied.

The suspect was subsequently taken to a local hospital and "placed under sedation." His exact condition is unknown at this time.

Per department protocol, the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave while the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation conducts an inquiry at the request of the city.   

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