Man who drove into officer shot twice, 21 shots fired

OREGON » Two officers shot and seriously wounded a man in his vehicle outside an apartment complex in Ohio after they allege he drove into one officer who was trying to stop him from leaving, police said.

Oregon police were called to the Kingston Court Apartments at about 9:50 p.m. Saturday on a report of an attempted break-in that turned out to be a prank, but once there were told that a man was slapping a screaming woman in the parking lot.

The officers got both parties in the domestic dispute under control, but the man got into a vehicle, and although an officer got in front him, he drove forward into the officer, Chief Mike Navarre told reporters Sunday. Body-camera footage confirmed that the car struck the officer, Navarre said.

The two officers discharged their weapons a total of 21 times in five seconds, one firing 11 rounds and the other 10 rounds. The officer was struck before any shots were fired, Navarre said.

Authorities believe the man was hit twice, once in the neck and once in the shoulder, he said. The two officers immediately administered first aid and the man was later listed in serious but stable condition at a hospital intensive care unit.

Navarre said he called in the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to handle the case. He said both officers, aged 25 and 27, are “fairly new,” one on the job for just short of a year and the other for about a year and a half. Both have been placed on administrative leave pending completion of the investigation.

Navarre said the officer who was struck sustained abrasions on his arms and legs and was also injured when he fell while running after the vehicle. The chief said police believe an assault was committed before officers arrived but the woman reported no injuries.

Navarre declined to offer any opinions about the actions of the officers but said an internal investigation was planned as is standard procedure. He said investigators will examine whether each shot was justified, since the position of the car changed during the brief period in which the shots were fired.