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Akron police officer shot man at Kenmore gas station on Saturday

An Akron police officer shot and killed a man early Saturday morning while investigating a stolen U-Haul, a police news release said.

Police identified the victim only as a 54-year-old man.

A woman at the scene who said she was a family member said they were looking for answers and that the man had rented the U-Haul to move his belongings to his mother's house.

The Beacon Journal is not releasing his name pending confirmation from police or the Summit County Coroner's Office.

According to the press release, officers were in the parking lot of a gas station on the corner of Louisiana Avenue in Kenmore in the 2200 block of East Avenue shortly after 1 a.m. when they spotted the vehicle, which had been reported stolen.

Police did not provide any information about the sequence of events, saying only that “during the incident, an officer fired two shots from his service weapon, striking the suspect.” The press release said a loaded gun was found in the vehicle, but did not provide any information on whether the suspect attempted to use it.

The officers provided first aid, but a short time later his death was pronounced at the scene of the accident.

The officer who fired the shots has been placed on paid leave in accordance with department policy. That officer was identified only as a two-and-a-half-year veteran of the department.

Akron Police Capt. Mike Miller said the stolen vehicle officers were investigating was a U-Haul, but it was not clear when or where it was reported stolen. He said Saturday afternoon he had no further information about the shooting.

The investigation will be conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations. The case will then be turned over to the Ohio Attorney General's office for review before being presented to a Summit County Grand Jury for evaluation.

The Office of Professional Standards and Accountability will also conduct an internal investigation to be presented to the City of Akron Police Chief and Police Comptroller for review.

Akron Mayor Shammas Malik issued the following statement following the shooting:

“When an incident like this occurs, it is tragic for our city and everyone is affected, especially when a life is lost.

“Police-involved shootings are often highly nuanced and complex and are some of the most difficult situations a community must navigate. More information will be released in the coming week, including body-worn camera footage of the incident, so that we as a community can get a clearer picture of what happened.

“My thoughts are with the family of the deceased and with our officials.”

Another police-involved shooting occurred at the same gas station in 2021. In that incident, officers saw a suspect with a gun shoot another man, who was hit twice, including once in the chest. The bullets flew in the direction of officers, who pursued the suspect “a short distance on foot,” police said. One of the officers returned fire, but it is believed the suspect was not hit.

Contact reporter Jennifer Pignolet at [email protected], at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet.

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