11/27/15 Akron, OH – 22 Year Old Threatening To Harm Himself – Foot Chase – Steals Akron Police Cruiser – Attempted To Run Over Officer – Shot By Officers – Crash

November 27, 2015

newsnet5.com

A 22-year-old Akron man is in stable condition after authorities said he was shot when he stole a police cruiser and attempted to drive over one of the officers.

Police said shortly after 1 p.m. on Friday, they responded to the 800 block of Carnegie Avenue to check the welfare of a suicidal man who was possibly armed with a handgun.

The man, later identified as David Duffield, was found to have an active warrant for violating a protection order out of the Portage County Sheriff’s Department.

Police said at around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday they were notified the same man was threatening to harm himself at a residence in the City of Green, but they were not able to locate him at that time.

Duffield led officers on a foot chase, and as they were searching backyards on Ivor Avenue, he climbed into a police cruiser and attempted to flee, authorities said.

When the two responding officers gave chase, police said Duffield put the car in reverse, accelerated and attempted to drive over one of the officers.

One of the officers opened fire on the suspect, striking him in the upper shoulder but Duffield continued in reverse and then drove over a curb and into a fence, where he finally stopped near 900 Ivor Avenue, when the car hit a fire hydrant.

Newsnet5.com obtained eye witness cell phone video of the moments immediately following the shooting.

“Stay with us, alright dude,” says a voice in the video. “Relax, just keep breathing alright.”

Duffield was taken into custody and taken to Akron General Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Police were not injured in the incident.

“The doors were left unlocked, the car was running when the officers ran behind the house after the suspect,” Lt. Rick Edwards told newsnet5.com, explaining how the suspect was able take control of the vehicle.

The officer involved in the shooting, a 16-year veteran of the Akron Police Department, has been placed on paid administrative leave, police said.

“We will do a fit for duty assessment to make sure the officer is okay to come back to work,” Edwards said about the officer. “Obviously, that is undetermined at this time.”

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations arrived on scene early Friday night.