The Portage County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Kent.
Officers were called to a home in the 600 block of Virginia Avenue around 3:46 a.m. Thursday for a report of an unwanted man inside a home creating a disturbance. The woman who called 911 told police that her cousin, 25-year-old Douglas Yon, was armed with a machete and refused to leave the house.
According to authorities, the woman told dispatchers that, if officers were to respond, Yon might try to run at them to get them to shoot.
In the 911 call, you can hear the dispatcher telling the people in the home, including a young child, to leave and remove themselves from the threat. They all exited but then Yon followed.
Four officers responding to the scene were engaged by Yon, who was allegedly wielding the 2-foot long machete, outside the home.
Police officials said at least one of the officers fired shots to stop the threat.
The shooting could be heard in the background of the 911 call. The caller told the dispatcher right before the shooting that he was coming toward them. "He won't stop!" the caller yelled. "They shot him!"
"The officers did what they had to do to protect themselves and the people in the home," said Kent police chief Michelle Lee.
According to Chief Lee, the officers immediately requested EMS to render first aid, however, Yon died from his injuries at the scene.
Officials said police were called to that same home in October but Yon was not the suspect in that incident. The 911 caller told dispatchers that Yon was not living in the home.
It is unclear how many officers fired shots Thursday morning. Lee said the department's policy is to "treat lethal threat with lethal force."
"I stand behind my officers," she added.
Kent police do not have body cameras. A dash camera in one of the cruisers did not capture the incident because it was facing away from the shooting. Other cruisers are in the process of getting dash cameras, but a new system has not been been completely installed yet, according to Captain Jim Prusha.
The Portage County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation.
