Akron police are investigating an incident in which two officers opened fire on a 45-year-old man after he reportedly shot at them Sunday night.
Officers were responding to a welfare check in the 400 block of Grant Street near the University of Akron campus around 11:23 p.m. when they heard gunshots nearby, according to an Akron Police Department press release. The officers went one street over to the 400 block of Sherman Street, where Calvin Hunt reportedly shot at them while they approached the apartments.
Officers returned fire and Hunt fled the scene, according to the release.
Detectives from the Anti-Violence Bureau and the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Hunt Monday afternoon, according to the release.
While investigating the shooting Sunday night, officers located a 27-year-old woman who suffered a gunshot wound to her leg inside one of the apartments. The victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release.
A firearm and a dozen shell casings were also recovered from the scene, according to the release.
“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,” Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said in a statement. “I am also thankful that a young woman injured before officers arrived does not appear to face life threatening injuries.”
On Sunday night, officers initially apprehended a 33-year-old male a few blocks away from the shooting, believing him to be the suspect who shot at officers. Detectives later determined he was not the primary suspect, according to the release.
“Detectives learned that he was involved in the events leading up to the shooting and did fire a weapon during the earlier altercation,” Lt. Michael Murphy wrote in the Monday news release.
The names of that suspect, as well as the victim, are being withheld during the investigation, Murphy added.
One officer sustained a minor leg injury from the shooting and was treated and released at the scene, according to the release. The officers have been placed on paid administrative leave, and the police department’s Office of Standards and Accountability is investigating the incident.
“Two suspects have been apprehended, and we will work to ensure they are held accountable for their actions,” Malik said. “Anyone perpetrating violence - towards our officers or anyone else in our community – must be held fully accountable.”
The findings of the investigation will be turned over to Police Chief Brian Harding and the city’s police auditor, Anthony Finnell, who will conduct a separate investigation.
“This incident highlights the challenging and sometimes dangerous encounters our officers face every day,” Harding said in a release. “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.”
