Police in Ravenna shoot and kill suspect who used man as ‘human shield’ and pointed gun at officers

CLEVELAND — The Ravenna Police Department says two of its officers fatally shot a man while responding to a disturbance inside an apartment. 

The department said the officer initially responded to an apartment inside 645 Hazen Ave around 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

A call was made to the police by a person residing in an apartment about another individual with a gun who was sleeping on the floor of the apartment. Upon the officers’ arrival and after knocking on the open door, they discovered a male suspect lying on the floor with a gun tucked in his waistband, as mentioned in a police statement.

Upon spotting the armed suspect, the officers withdrew and instructed the suspect to put down the weapon. Subsequently, the apartment door was shut, and the officers continued to issue commands from the outside, as per the police report.

The suspect exited the apartment a short time later while using another man as a shield. The police indicated that the person who was being used as a shield was the individual who had alerted the authorities about the suspect in the first place, according to a spokesperson from the department.

“Officers repeatedly issued commands, and the hostage was able to break free,” the police department said.

That’s when police say the suspect pointed his gun at police, prompting both officers to fire at the suspect. Officers attempted life-saving measures but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. 

No police officers were injured, the department said.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the police shooting. Witnesses are currently being interviewed. The identity of the deceased suspect is being withheld pending further investigation, police said. 

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Ravenna Police Department at 330-296-6486.