Kent police fatally shoot man with machete

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

A man was fatally shot by police after he ran at them with a machete early Thursday in Kent, police said.

Douglas Yon, 25, was killed around 4 a.m. after a cousin called 911 to report that Yon wouldn’t leave her house, authorities said. In a 911 recording released by Kent police, a female cousin tells the dispatcher that Yon had been staying at the home, but doesn’t explain why she wants him to leave.

Kent Police Chief Michelle Lee said at a news conference Thursday that she didn’t know how many of the four officers who initially responded to the call fired their weapons or how many rounds were fired. A police news release said officers shot at Yon.

The Portage County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting with help from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

“We want to make sure the investigation is fair and accurate to the best of our ability,” Lee said.

In the 911 call, Yon’s cousin tells the dispatcher that Yon has said that he’ll run at police and that they’ll have to shoot him. The dispatcher tells the cousin to get everyone out of the house for their safety. Yon left the home as well and, as he vowed, charged at the officers with the machete in his hand, police said.

“He’s coming toward the cops,” the cousin tells the dispatcher. “He won’t stop.”

Gunshots can be heard in the recording.