JACKSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio – A confrontation with a 20-year-old armed robbery suspect ended peacefully after a Jackson Township Police Department officer negotiated with him to lay down his weapon, at one point saying i: “You are too young, bud, you are too young. “
Rashawn Harper, 20, of Tennessee, was arrested and placed in Stark County Jail on the following charges:
- Aggravated robbery, a first-degree crime
- A delicious assault, a second-degree murder
- Carrying a concealed weapon, two charges, a fourth-degree felony
- Disabled weapons, two charges, a third-degree felony
- Aggravated threat, a first-degree offense
- Receiving stolen goods (a firearm was stolen), a fourth-degree felony
- Obstruction of official business, a fifth-degree felony
- Unloading a firearm on or near prohibited spaces, a third-degree felony
On Saturday, at approximately 3:00 p.m., officers responded to a store on the 5000 block of Fulton Drive for a report of armed robbery.
As they responded, officers learned that a witness to the robbery was following Harper, who was driving a vehicle with no visible license plates.
When Harper and the witness stopped at the intersection of Meadowview Drive and Everhard Road, Harper allegedly fired a gun at the witness, hitting the panel in the front corner of the witness’s vehicle.
“Shoot me! He has a gun!” said the 51-year-old woman, who forwarded Harper’s location to the police dispatch.
Harper parked his vehicle in block 5400 of Blackthorne Avenue NW, where a resident later told police that someone was seen running through the backyard to an old golf course, the officer said.
Officers located Harper in block 3600 of Wackerly Drive, where he was sitting on a swing with a gun.
In the camera footage, one of the responding officers can be heard asking Harper to put down his gun.
“We can help you, man. We won’t hurt you. I promise we won’t hurt you. Put it down, “said one officer.
At one point in the video, the officer promised to take a therapist for Harper, who said he had no medication.
“Throw the gun out of there. I left mine and I’ll come talk to you. I promise. We can help you. It’s not the way, “the officer said.
When Harper said his age, the officer continued to encourage him to put down his weapon.
“Come on, buddy, you need to talk to me. Dude, you’re 20. You’re still so young. Let’s go, man, we don’t want to do this. Just put it on [gun] down, bud. We don’t want to do it. You don’t want to do it. You are 20 years old, “said the officer.
After a few minutes of negotiations, Harper dropped his weapon and the officer who negotiated with him went up and handcuffed him, continuing the dialogue.
“What’s the matter, man? Look at me. What’s going on?” The officer said.
“We made terrible decisions,” Harper said.
– Why did you want to do that? the officer asked.
“I didn’t want to do what I did,” said Harper, who was arrested. He remains in prison in Stark County.