Video: Suspect Uses Man as Shield in Deadly Clash with Ohio Police
Ravenna police responded to a call about a man with a handgun who forced his way into an apartment and fell asleep on the floor, leading to a confrontation that left the suspect dead.
A male held hostage and used a human shield by an armed suspect was able to break free from his captor, who aimed his gun at Ravenna police officers before they opened fire.
Recently released body camera footage captured a deadly confrontation over the weekend between Ohio police and a suspect who used another person as a human shield and was fatally shot after he pointed what turned out to be a pellet gun at officers.
The shooting happened shortly after 1:30 a.m. Sunday when Ravenna police responded to a call concerning a man with a gun who was asleep on a person's apartment floor, WKYC-TV reports. The suspect—identified as Shawn Antonio Ware—had allegedly forced his way into the unit, "brandished a firearm" and said he needed a place to hide.
When police reached the scene, the victim answered the door and told officers that Ware had a gun in his pocket. That's when the suspect woke up and drew his weapon as he stood up.
Ware forced the victim out of the apartment door, using him as a shield. But the victim was able to escape from Ware's clutches.
With his gun still out, Ware advanced at the officers, who opened fire. The suspect was struck, and he died at the scene.
Following the incident, officers discovered Ware's weapon had been a CO2 pellet gun. The shooting is being investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Investigation.
Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.
