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Body camera video released in deadly Stow officer-involved shooting

Posted at 1:41 PM, Sep 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-07 18:54:07-04

Stow police have released the body camera footage, radio traffic and 911 call relating to a deadly officer involved shooting that occurred in Akron on the night of Sept. 3 behind Haven of Rest Ministries.

Around 10:46 p.m., dispatchers received a 911 call from a resident from the 1360 block of Meadowbrook concerned about a man who jumped over his fence and knocked on his door and asked for cigarettes and then asked to call his daughter.  The caller told dispatchers it appeared the man was on some type of drug.

NOTE: You can hear shots fired in the video above but the actual shooting is not shown. Content may be offensive to some viewers. 

Officer Robert S. Molody, responded and located 30-year-old William Porubsky on an adjacent street.

According to reports, Molody told dispatch he was taking Porubsky to the Haven of Rest Ministries.

A few minutes after arriving at the shelter, body camera video shows Molody arguing with Porubsky to get out of the police cruiser. 

He told the officer he wanted to be taken back to Stow to a friend’s house. When Molody said he’s not a taxi driver, Porubsky said, “you’re dressed up like one. I should kick your ass and take your f***ing car dude.”

The argument escalated and Porubsky only got out of the back seat of the cruiser after Molody drew his Taser. 

When Molody pointed the Taser at him, Porubsky said, “Don’t shoot me with that ever bro, I didn’t do nothing to you.”

The officer then ordered Porubsky to go sit on the curb several times. Eventually, Porubsky looked to comply with the officer but, before getting past the cruiser, he reached over to the locked driver side door of the car in an attempt to open it.  Porubsky then turned around and grabbed the front of Molody’s Taser and ran away.  

After the officer deployed the stun gun on Porubsky, the suspect turned around and ran back toward Molody, lunging at him. The collision knocked the weapon away and his body camera fell off. 

The fight continues off-camera and two shots are heard.

Molody then called to dispatch, “shots fired, shots fired,” according to radio traffic. 

“I’m okay, hurt a little bit. Two shots fired. Need an ambulance for him. I can’t see, he tore my glasses off,” Molody said.

Police said Porubsky was transported to an Akron hospital where he later died. An autopsy showed he died from gunshot wounds to the chest.

Molody was treated for his injuries and released.  

Records show Molody has been with the Stow Police Department since 2005. His personnel file is filled with multiple commendations and letters of praise from the community.  The only prior incident in his file is from 2011 when he was involved in a minor car crash where he clipped a pole in his cruiser.

The shooting is under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. 

As for Porubsky, he has a violent past with numerous domestic violence charges against him. Investigators told News 5 they are awaiting his toxicology and autopsy results.

The shooting is under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Officer Molody is on paid administrative leave, as the investigation continues.