The wife of an Ohio man fatally shot by police minutes into the new year has said he had been firing an assault-style rifle to celebrate the arrival of 2022 when an officer opened fire without warning.
Marquetta Williams told the Repository newspaper her 46-year-old husband, James, was using an AR-15 rifle that belonged to her to fire celebratory shots early on Saturday outside their home in Canton.
That night, James, a stay-at-home father or stepfather of six girls, was at home with his wife, three of their daughters and two other family members.
Marquetta Williams said the gunfire was an annual tradition in their neighborhood, with many neighbors also firing shots.
She also said James was behind a 6ft fence, adding: “You can’t see in. You can’t see out.”
James Williams came back inside the house, his wife said, then decided to go back outside and shoot some more. His wife said he fired four shots into the air and turned to follow her inside, then told her: “I’ve been shot.”
“I could see the blood splattering across his shirt,” Marquetta Williams said. “He collapsed in the living room.”
Referring to the police officer who shot him, she said: “His life was in danger, because you didn’t announce yourself. That’s cold-blooded and I’m not going to rest until he does get justice, period.”
Marquetta Williams called 911. When she opened her door, she said, “There were 30-something officers with guns pointing at us, telling us to get down and come out of the house with our hands up.”
She told Cleveland 19 News protests and a vigil were planned.
In a statement, the Canton police chief, Jack Angelo, said officers were investigating reports of gunfire when an officer who was outside his vehicle confronted someone who began shooting a firearm.
Angelo said the officer feared for his safety and fired his duty weapon at the person, striking him.
The department has declined further comment.
Marquetta Williams said no officers identified themselves before the shooting occurred around 12.05am. James Williams was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead a short time later.
“Out of the blue, he said he got shot, he got hit,” she said. “I don’t know where it came from. Nobody said anything. They didn’t say, ‘Police.’ They didn’t say, ‘Freeze.’ They didn’t say, ‘Drop your weapon.’ They just shot him.”
The Ohio bureau of criminal investigation was investigating and all evidence including body-camera images and firearms had been turned over to the agency, police said.
The officer involved was placed on administrative duty, standard procedure in shootings involving police. His name was not immediately released.
No officers were injured.
