A 28-year-old man died after he was shot by police while he was cleaning out his late grandmother's apartment, with officers reportedly mistaking him for a burglar.
As reported by NBC News, Joe Frasure was shot on Monday (January 30) in Wyoming, a city of about 9,000 around 12 miles north of downtown Cincinnati.
Wyoming police say they were responding to a call in the early hours of the morning of two or three individuals attempting to break into the apartment block.
According to reports, the caller had told 911 operators that the property was supposed to be vacant. Officers heard activity at the rear of the building, and they discovered Frasure and his father in a minivan, with police claiming that Frasure refused to listen to instructions.
Police Chief Brooke Brady said: "The minivan reversed at a high rate of speed, before hitting a tree, at which point the vehicle accelerated rapidly at our officers.
"The officers fired four shots at the minivan as the minivan was accelerating towards them." Frasure was struck by a bullet as the officers fired and the minivan hit the building.
Chief Brady stated that the officers then forced their way into the smoking van, extracted Frasure, and attempted to apply life-saving care.
The 28-year-old was transferred to University Hospital but passed away on Tuesday (January 31) with his cause of death being unconfirmed.
Frasure's family has disputed the police's account of events, as they claim that he was there to clear out his late grandmother's apartment, and they opened fire without giving instructions.
Speaking to WLWT of Cincinnati, Frasure's sister, Shonda Coleman said: "I didn’t hear none of that. I didn’t hear no commands. All I heard is pop, pop, pop, pop. Like, it was, like, 10 rounds."
The grieving sister demanded to see the footage from the officer's body cams and prosecutors are expected to release more information on Friday, alongside the camera footage.
Per reports from Cincinnati.com, police had often visited the apartments after neighbors became concerned about the property.
According to a neighbor, Derrick Moore, he and other nearby residents had been concerned about the property for many months, with the city recently taking action meaning at least three of the four units were unoccupied.
Moore added that the neighbors had spoken to the residents and knew that one of the units was being cleared out following the death of a woman in early January.
Police frequently visited the apartments, according to records obtained by The Enquirer, with at least 33 calls being received between October 10 and January 11, mostly about domestic disturbances and disputes between residents. Frasure was not named in any of the complaints.
Chief Brady stated that she has already reviewed the footage and it has been shared with the sheriff's office and Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office who are investigating the matter.
"This is a tragedy for all involved," Chief Brady said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family at this time."
Frasure leaves behind two children, with his third due this week.
