Man Shot, Killed By Off-Duty Police Officer Identified

CLEVELAND, OH – The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office on Friday identified a 22-year-old man who was shot Thursday by an off-duty Cleveland police officer during an incident that started when he reportedly pulled a gun while driving. Desmond Franklin died in a shooting that occurred at 2 p.m. on Thursday at 25th Street and Archwood Ave. after Franklin was identified by the officer who believed Franklin and another man were participating in criminal activity.

After an “encounter” between the officer and the two men, one of the men, who was later determined to be Franklin, pulled out a gun and the officer fired his gun at the man, a Cleveland police spokesman said on Thursday. Franklin, who was initially reported to be 24, was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

According to a report on Friday by Cleveland.com, the officer involved was Jose Garcia, who, according to the report has been placed on administration while an investigation into the incident is completed. According to the report, Garcia - who police did not release any further about - was not in uniform and was not driving a police cruiser at the time of the incident.

Franklin, who was driving at the time when he produced the gun, was hit by bullets as was a teen-aged passenger. The passenger, reported to be 17, was taken to the hospital after be arrested and is I stable condition. Franklin then crashed the car into a cemetery fence not far from where the incident began. Garcia, according to the Cleveland.com report, was not injured.

The site also reported Friday that Franklin was facing felony charges in two separate cases, according to court records. He was charged with aggravated robbery in connection with a Dec. 10 incident on the city’s West Side. He was released from the Cuyahoga County Jail on Feb. 7 after posting 10 percent of a $50,000 bond.

He was arrested again on March 12 and charged with receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony. He was released from custody on a personal bond two days later.