Off-Duty Cleveland Police Officer Fatally Shot During Carjacking
An off-duty Cleveland police officer was fatally shot on Friday evening during a carjacking.
An 18-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder for his killing. A 28-year-old man has been arrested and held on allegations of receiving stolen property.
Neither of the two suspects have been formally charged at the time of publishing.
The name of the officer has also not yet been made public.
“The shooting took place about 7 p.m. on Rocky River Drive, near Fairway Avenue, in the city’s Kamm’s Corners neighborhood on the West Side,” according to a report from Cleveland.com.
The officer attempted to fight off the attack and theft, but was shot twice. He was transported to Fairview hospital, but did not make it.
After the shooting, law enforcement found the officer’s vehicle and engaged in a chase with the 28-year-old man who was driving it.
“The male driver has been convicted seven times in the past four years of theft-related offenses involving cars, according to interviews and Cuyahoga County court records. The woman has been under investigation in past robberies,” Cleveland.com reports.
Wayne Drummond, the interim police chief, said in a statement that “my heart is aching for his family, for our officers. It’s senseless. It just doesn’t make sense.” He asked the people of Cleveland to pray for the officer’s family.
On Christmas, a 27-year-old was robbed at gunpoint near where the shooting of the officer took place.
