A 20-year-old man was in critical but stable condition Thursday afternoon, a day after he was shot by a police officer in Avondale. Cincinnati Police say the entire encounter was caught on video but will not be released until after it can be reviewed by the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office.
Chief Eliot Isaac says it started when a plainclothes officer sitting in an unmarked vehicle near Blair and Hartford Street saw the man, identified as Vernell Jackson, remove a handgun from his pocket and put it in his waistband. Officer Marc Schildmeyer responded to a call for backup in a marked police cruiser.
Isaac says Schildmeyer pulled in front of Jackson. "At that point, Mr. Jackson's left hand was behind his back. Officer Schildmeyer gave Mr. Jackson three separate commands to show his hands. Mr. Jackson removed his left hand from behind his back and displayed a firearm pointed at Officer Schildmeyer," Isaac says. "Officer Schildmeyer ordered Mr. Jackson to put the gun down, and discharged one round, striking Mr. Jackson in the right side of his torso."
Isaac says Schildmeyer performed first aid until Cincinnati Fire crews arrived.
Jackson faces charges of aggravated menacing and carrying a concealed weapon. Investigators say they recovered a .380 handgun with eight rounds in the magazine. Isaac says the gun was purchased legally, "however, we are not certain how it got into the possession of Mr. Jackson."
Mayor John Cranley says Officer Schildmeyer has the city's backing. "There are too many shootings and there are too many guns in our neighborhoods," he says. "If you point a gun at a cop, you will be shot. And we will continue, we will not be deterred by people in our community who want to shoot others and cause harm."
Isaac expects the prosecutor to release the footage of the shooting from Schildmeyer's body camera and dashcam next week.
