Police say one officer suffered a ‘minor leg injury.’ A 27-year-old woman was also injured in the initial shooting.
AKRON, Ohio — Akron police on Sunday released body camera footage from an incident last weekend in which a suspect exchanged gunfire with officers.
Two suspects were arrested after one of them fired at officers in the 400 block of Sherman Street on the night of May 25.
A 5 1/2-minute video has been edited and it starts with audio from a 911 call made by a 27-year-old woman who said she was shot in the leg. She described the suspect and mentioned that he ran out of the front door.
According to the video, officers arrived on scene and heard gunshots nearby as well as someone in the parking lot yelling, “He’s right there.”
The video then shows footage captured by the body-worn cameras of the two officers involved, depicting the encounter with the suspect. The video captures over a dozen gunshots.
You can watch the bodycam footage below:
Editor’s note: The following video includes language some viewers may find offensive.
CASE DETAILS
Police say it was around 11:23 p.m. when they responded to a call for a welfare check on Grant Street when they heard gunshots nearby.
Moments later, officers responded to the scene on Sherman Street to investigate.
During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Akron police shared that two suspects fled on foot when officers arrived at the scene. The officers started to pursue the suspects, and one of them started shooting at the officers, leading the officers to return fire while seeking cover.
A short time later, police apprehended a 33-year-old suspect, but was “quickly” determined not to be the one that fired at police. His identity has not been released at this time.
During the press conference, police released the identity of the suspect that fired at police. He has been identified as 45-year-old Calvin Hunt. Hunt was arrested on Monday afternoon and faces three counts of felonious assault.
“A firearm and over a dozen shell casings were recovered from the scene,” according to police.
Upon further investigation, Akron police say a 27-year-old woman was found inside an apartment with a gunshot wound to the leg with a non-life-threatening injury.
“The two officers involved have one and two years with the Akron Police Department, respectively,” according to Akron police. “The officers will be placed on paid administrative leave per departmental procedure.”
Akron police also said one officer suffered a minor leg injury in the incident but was not struck by gunfire.
“The Office of Professional Standards and Accountability will conduct a separate internal investigation,” according to the press release. “The results will be provided to the police chief and the City of Akron Police Auditor.”
The incident remains under investigation. Akron Mayor Shammas Malik issued the following statement about the situation::
“I am deeply thankful that our officers are safe after responding to a call last night in which they were fired upon and responded using their weapons. I am also thankful that a young woman injured before officers arrived does not appear to face life threatening injuries. Two suspects have been apprehended, and we will work to ensure they are held accountable for their actions. Anyone perpetrating violence – towards our officers or anyone else in our community – must be held fully accountable. Today, my thoughts are with the involved officers and their families processing this dangerous situation, and with the injured victim, who I hope has a speedy recovery.”
Police Chief Brian Harding added:
“This incident highlights the challenging and sometimes dangerous encounters our officers face every day. Often, our officers are confronted with difficult decisions in the interest of public safety and in the most extreme cases, those decisions can mean life or death. This was a dangerous interaction that had the potential to become much worse if not for the actions of our officers.”
Monday’s full press conference can be seen below:
