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CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) – The three Cleveland Heights police officers involved in the deadly shooting of an 18-year-old man last year won’t face criminal charges, city officials announced on Friday.
In a statement, Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren said a grand jury on Friday determined that criminal charges aren’t warranted in the shooting death of Christian Thomas.
On Aug. 29, 2024, Cleveland Heights police responded to a call for a domestic disturbance between Thomas and his father at a home on Yellowstone Road.
According to police, witnesses said Thomas was allegedly armed, had his finger on the trigger and had already fired a shot inside the home.
Officers at the scene said they heard Thomas’ father pleading his son to take his finger off the trigger. They then heard “a loud crash, followed by a gunshot.”
Police sources at the time said Thomas was seen coming out of the home through a screened porch window.
Thomas was still carrying the gun and when he encountered Cleveland Heights police, three officers opened fire, investigators said.
Officers rendered first aid but Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Seren, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation reviewed the officer-involved shooting and presented the evidence to Attorney General Yost’s Special Prosecutions Unit earlier this year.
On Thursday, the evidence was brought before a grand jury who decided that “the use of force in this case was reasonable and there was no probable cause to believe that a crime was committed,” the mayor’s statement continued.
“I hope everyone can remember that no matter the circumstances or the result of this criminal investigation, this is heartbreaking,” the statement said, in part. “Christian’s death is a tragedy for the Tyson and Thomas families and for our community. It is our responsibility to continue our work to find ways to prevent incidents like this in the future, and in that way to honor the loss of our young neighbor.”
Last September, family members, the family’s attorney and local civil justice leaders called for full transparency in the investigation.
At the time, the family’s attorney, Stanley Jackson with The Cochran Firm Cleveland, demanded that police release all body-camera footage from the shooting, as well as reports and the names of officers involved. He said at the time that the officers appeared “not trained” and that Thomas was in distress and needed help.
Seren said he will hold a press conference at 9 a.m. Monday to address the grand jury’s decision.
