man killed by officer in Elyria : Cleveland IMC (((i)))

A foot chase in downtown Elyria early Sunday morning ended with a police
officer fatally shooting an Oberlin man.

Police Chief Michael Medders said James A. Cain Jr., 22, of Oberlin, was
shot by an officer after Cain shot a bar bouncer who saw the chase and
joined in.

The incident began a few minutes before 3 a.m. when police officers David
Ross and Michael Merrill were driving on Lake Avenue and heard what
sounded like a gunshot coming from Merchant's Alley.

They stopped to investigate and saw Cain stick a handgun into his
waistband and run, Medders said. Merrill stayed with a prisoner in the
patrol car, and Ross gave chase.

Brian Dunegan, 22, a bouncer at the Mardi Gras bar, was on his way home
after the bar closed for the night when he heard Ross shouting at Cain and
joined in the pursuit.

As Dunegan closed in, Cain turned and fired a shot, striking Dunegan in
the right knee, Medders said. Dunegan continued forward and tackled Cain
on Depot Street.

Ross then shot Cain in the back of his right shoulder.

"His first thought was the guy was going to shoot again," Medders said.

A woman who answered the phone at Cain's family's home in Oberlin said
witnesses told her Cain was shot at least three times in the back.

Medders said that Ross had fired more than once but that he would not say
exactly how many times until after the investigation. He said Ross had
feared that Cain would shoot Dunegan again.

Ross, 33, has been on the Elyria Police Department for about six years.
Medders said that, consistent with the department's policy, Ross was
placed on administrative leave pending a review of the shooting by two of
the department's captains.

Cain died at EMH Regional Medical Center.

He had been paroled from state prison in August after serving six months
for burglary, theft and cocaine possession, according to the Ohio
Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

Medders said police believe Cain came out of a nearby bar and fired a gun.
They were not sure why.

Dunegan was in fair condition at MetroHealth Medical Center on Sunday
afternoon, awaiting surgery on his knee.

In a telephone interview, he said he wouldn't have joined in the chase if
he had known Cain had a gun. Once he was shot, Dunegan said, he became
more determined to stop Cain.

"I had to get him down," he said. "I wanted to finish it."

Dunegan said he had rolled away in pain before Ross shot Cain.

Cleveland Indy Media Center