x
Breaking News
More () »

Grand jury clears Toledo police in fatal shooting

A grand jury said Tuesday that no further investigation is necessary for the seven officers who shot Jason Means Jan. 26.

TOLEDO, Ohio — Editor's note: The video above originally aired on Jan. 27, 2023.

A Lucas County grand jury has cleared seven Toledo police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a Toledo man in January.

Officers fatally shot Jason Means, 47, near his home in the 5700 block of Hill Avenue on Jan. 25. 

Means' girlfriend had called police for help after she said Means was having a mental breakdown. She was hiding from him on the roof of the home when officers arrived.

Officers found Means, armed with a shotgun, outside the home. Police attempted to de-escalate the situation, but Means refused to comply with their commands to drop the weapon.

When Means walked towards police and raised his gun at officers, police shot him. An autopsy performed by the Lucas County Coroner's Office determined Means was shot 22 times in the head, torso, left arm, and left and right legs.

After watching body-camera video after the shooting, Interim Toledo Police Chief Michael Troendle told reporters officers had asked Means to put down the gun more than 25 times.

The seven officers who fired at Means --  Sgt. James Taylor, Sgt. Kevin Currie, Officer Justin Volz, Officer Thomas McCafferty, Officer Jacob Wescott, Officer Adam Yarnell and Officer Jacoby Whitacre -- were placed on administrative leave after the incident, which is standard procedure.

The department's internal affairs investigation, which is separate from the grand jury's investigation, also determined the officers did not violate the law or Toledo Police Department policy.

The grand jury determined that no further investigation into the officers' action was necessary.

More on WTOL:

Get a fresh start to your morning and wrap up your day with the latest news and your WTOL11 Weather forecast delivered right to your inbox! WTOL's Your Morning Blast and Your Evening Blast deliver stories from northwest Ohio, southeast Michigan and beyond to keep you informed. Click here to get on the list! 

 

Stay up to date on what's happening in your community with a 24/7 live stream and on-demand content from WTOL 11+.
Our free WTOL 11+ apps are available on Roku and Firetv.
WTOL 11+ features the latest breaking news and weather, plus daily talk shows, coverage of your favorite sports teams from Locked On, fact-checking from VERIFY and the latest trending stories from Daily Blast Live. 



Before You Leave, Check This Out