WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — The Willoughby Police Department held a news conference on Monday morning to discuss the fatal shooting of a man wielding a knife on Aug. 31.
You can watch the press conference below:
According to Willoughby Police Chief James Schultz, around 9:30 p.m., Lake County Central Dispatch transferred a 911 call to the Willoughby Police Department from a male inside a home in the 5100 block of Robinhood Drive reporting a domestic disturbance.
Two Willoughby officers responded and, through the front door, spotted Jason Anthony Green, armed with a knife, threatening a woman, Schultz said during the news conference. Officers asked Green to come outside, and he exited the home, carrying a kitchen knife.
The chief said the two officers attempted to de-escalate the situation and get Green to drop the knife. After telling him to drop the weapon multiple times, Schultz said one of the officers used a Taser when they were ignored, but it wasn't effective.
According to Schultz, the officers retreated to the yard next door and continued trying to get Green to comply with their commands. At one point, Green charged the two officers, and they discharged their firearms, striking him.
RELATED: 45-year-old shot, killed by Willoughby police officers
A third officer arrived on scene, secured the kitchen knife and rendered first aid to Green. He was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office and the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office both responded to the scene, and Ohio BCI will conduct an independent investigation of the shooting, Schultz said.
When asked during the news conference whether Willoughby Police had any prior dealings with Green, the chief said he wasn't aware of any with his department.
"My thoughts and prayers and my department's condolences go out to the Green family," the chief said. "We will do our best to offer support and assistance to the victim, her family and the Green family in their time of need."
Per policy, the two officers — one with nine years of service with the department and the other with six — were placed on administrative leave. The chief said the department doesn't have body cameras, but his officers have been extensively trained in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques and "exhausted all options" to get Green to drop his weapon before the situation turned deadly.
"This was a very tragic incident. I am extremely proud of my officers, dispatchers and staff in the day-to-day service that they provide to our community. They are the finest. In reviewing preliminary details, I know my officers did everything they could to de-escalate the situation, make sure the victim was safe, and they exhausted all their options. These are always my expectations, and they did their best," Schultz said.
