CLEVELAND (AP) — A man hitting an unoccupied ambulance with a hatchet was shot and critically wounded early Friday by a Cleveland police officer after he lunged at another officer on a bridge, authorities said.
An emergency medical crew that had responded to an unrelated matter called police to report the man was a hitting their ambulance, authorities said. The 30-year-old man then moved toward the crew members and threw the hatchet at the vehicle, picked the hatchet up and continued acting irrationally, striking the ground with the hatchet and nearby wires.
Four officers, including a sergeant, arrived and tried to get the man to drop the hatchet, but he walked away. The officers followed the man on foot and tried to calm him, but the situation escalated, authorities said.
While they were on the bridge, the sergeant deployed a beanbag shotgun, striking the man. When that did not stop him, two other officers used stun guns, but that also did not stop him.
When the man lunged at the sergeant with the hatchet, another officer started shooting at the man, who was hit three times. He was being treated at a hospital, but his name has not been released.
No officers or medical workers were injured, authorities said. The four officers were placed on administrative leave, standard policy in such situations.
