Holly MatkinAkron, OH – Bodycam footage captured the moment when a homicide suspect was shot by Akron police after allegedly pointing a gun at officers during a July, early-morning foot pursuit (video below).
The incident began at the Oasis Bar located in the 600-block of North Howard Street shortly before 3 a.m. on July 29, WOIO reported.
Police responded to the scene after receiving a report that a woman had been shot by a female suspect during a fight in the bar bathroom, according to WJW.
A witness flagged the officers down and pointed them in the direction of where the armed woman had been spotted running away.
Bodycam footage from multiple officers showed them running through backyards and down the sidewalk in a residential area as they searched for the suspect in the dark.
Officers ultimately located her near a former motorcycle dealership, WJW reported.
“Show me your hands!” one officer repeatedly ordered in the video, just before the suspect began walking towards him.
The officer then fired multiple rounds, striking the suspect in her stomach and leg, WJW reported.
“Officers witnessed what appeared to be the suspect raising her arm in a shooting manner and the officer engaged with gunfire, striking the suspect,” Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett later confirmed, according to WOIO.
“In this particular case, based on what I saw in the video, it appears that the suspect put officers in a situation where they had to make a split-second decision,” Chief Mylett added.
Police immediately administered first aid to the wounded suspect, who was subsequently rushed to Summa Health Akron City Hospital.
She remained hospitalized in stable condition on Aug. 5, according to WOIO.
Her identity was not immediately released and it was unclear what charges she may face.
Investigators said they located the suspect’s firearm at the scene of the officer-involved shooting, WOIO reported.
The officer who shot her has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, as per protocol.
He has been with the department for approximately two years.
Police said no officers were injured during the incident.
The victim of the initial shooting at the Oasis Bar succumbed to her wounds at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital on July 30, WOIO reported.
She has been identified as 21-year-old Chyna Shepard.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s (BCI) is handling the ongoing investigation, WOIO reported.
The Office of Professional Standards and Accountability is conducting a separate internal investigation.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. Warning – Graphic Content and Obscene Language:
