Ravenna Police updated their account of the fatal, officer-involved shooting that ocurred early Sunday morning on Hazen Street.

In a release, they explained that they got a call about 12:30 Sunday morning, from a man who lived in apartment #10, at 655 Hazen Street, claiming that the man who lived upstairs, Shawn Ware, had been threatening him for days, claiming he knew where he sat and that he’d shoot him through the floor. In addition, he said Ware had threatened him earlier in the evening, telling him he was going over to his cousin’s house to get a ’45 caliber gun.

That man told police his landlord had told him he knew Ware had a weapon, but he wasn’t sure if it was real, or a BB gun.

Then, about 1:33 AM, police say they got another call; this one from a different man, who lived in apartment #3, and said a man with a gun that he didn’t know, had forced his way into his apartment, saying he “needed someplace to hide”, and that now the intruder was asleep.

Police were dispatched to the scene at 1:37, and when they arrived at 1:39; the man who called them opened his apartment door, and whispered that Ware had a gun in his pocket. Then, they say Ware woke up, pulled the gun, pointed it at them, and yelled “F—y’all”.

At that point, the police officers ordered him to drop it, but backed off, and “communicated with each other, acknowledging the possibility the firearm may be a BB gun, but expressing uncertainty. One officer advised dispatch over the radio that the suspect had brandished the weapon, though its authenticity remained unclear.”

Then, police say, Ware emerged from the apartment, holding the man who lived there in front of him like a human shield, who they could hear saying, “Don’t shoot me”.

Right after that, police say the hostage broke away and escaped, leaving leaving Ware yelling and brandishing the weapon at the officers, which is when they shot him. 

Today, police shared still pictures they took at the scene, including one of the CO 2-powered BB gun, and they say bodycam video of the incident is available on request.

The two officers who shot Ware are on administrative leave, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is looking into the incident.