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Youngstown police officer fires at man on South Side
Photo
Willie Bright, center, is flanked by Youngstown police officers Carl Davis, left and Anthony Tulipano, and an unidentified Mahoning County Sheriff ’s deputy Wednesday as he was arrested at his South Side home after police say he pointed a gun at them.
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A city police officer fired a shot at a man who pointed a gun at him Wednesday.
The man who pointed the gun was not hit by gunfire and surrendered a short time later after being coaxed out of a house on Park Hill Avenue on the South Side. The officer is on paid administrative leave, as is standard procedure when an officer fires his weapon at a person.
Police identified the man as Willie Bright, 31, who was arrested and taken to the Mahoning County jail.
Investigators would not identify the officer who was placed on leave.
Lt. John Kelty said officers were called to Bright’s 1126 Park Hill Ave. home about 8:20 a.m. by Bright, who hung up before saying what was wrong. Two cruisers were dispatched for what was termed an “unknown trouble” call, Kelty said.
When officers arrived, Bright was sitting on the porch steps and told the officers he had “big problems.” When he was asked if he had any weapons he said no, but when he stood up he pulled a large revolver out of his waistband and pointed it at the officers, one of whom fired four rounds at Bright but missed. The gunfire shattered glass in a screen door in the front of the house.
Bright then ran inside the house and officers closed the street and called Mahoning County deputy sheriffs and U.S. marshals to surround the home and block off the street. They began talking to Bright on a loudspeaker and about 15 minutes later, he came out of the house.
Reports said police found the gun in the kitchen after they searched the home.
Staff Inspector Lt. Brian Butler, head of the Internal Affairs Division, said Bright pointed the gun at officers but never fired it.
One of the negotiators could be heard saying nothing would happen to Bright but they were not putting their guns down. As Bright was led away he could be heard saying he was set up by his family, because they have money he wants — and he also said he couldn’t believe he was shot.
“I wasn’t trying to kill nobody,” Bright could be heard saying.
Ruth Redding, who lives nearby on Glenwood Avenue, said she was startled when she heard gunfire.
“I was sitting at my computer doing Facebook and heard, bang, bang, bang,” Redding said.
Another neighbor, Vince Poyssick. also said he heard gunfire.
“I heard three shots, and all of a sudden I heard the police coming,” Poyssick said.
Poyssick said Bright has not lived in the neighborhood long. Kelty said he had only lived there a couple of months.
A spokesman at the Mahoning County jail said Bright was booked on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and felonious assault. He is expected to be arraigned in municipal court Friday.
Internal affairs is investigating the shooting. Butler said the officer placed on leave probably will be back on duty early next week.