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Posted by: kwflatbed



Courtesy of AP/Molly Corfman

An investigator photographs evidence after a shooting injured an officer at the Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland April 27.

THOMAS J. SHEERAN
Associated Press

Police confronted a man at a Cleveland airport ticket counter Thursday and shots were fired as they struggled, critically wounding a patrolman and killing the man, authorities said.

The man grabbed one officer's gun and shot another officer twice in the chest, city Safety Director Martin Flask said.

The unidentified Cleveland man, who was shot by a third officer who intervened, died at a hospital, Flask said.

The shooting, shortly after 10 a.m., was in an area before security check points. The airport remained open, said Fred Szabo, director of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

"We have several witnesses who saw it happen, a number of police officers, TSA employees and some passengers as well," Szabo said.

The officer, Patrolman Steve Walker, was in critical condition at MetroHealth Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Susan Christopher said.

Employees at the United Airlines ticket counter were being interviewed by investigators after the shooting, United spokesman Robin Urbanski said.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Posted by: kwflatbed

It was just reported on Court TV that the Officer has died from the wounds.

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Posted by: kwflatbed

looks like the news report on his death was wrong, Thank God !!


Cleveland police officers attend a press conference for officer Steve Walker, 52, who was shot at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Thursday. Walker was critically injured with cracked ribs, a damaged lung and a bullet lodged in his back, but his condition was stable. (AP Photo/Molly Corfman)
Officer shot at Cleveland airport ticket counter
The Associated Press

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A police officer was shot inside Cleveland's airport Thursday after confronting a man at a ticket counter, officials said.

Several shots rang out as the two struggled, and both the officer and the man he had confronted were taken to hospitals, said Fred Szabo, director of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

Szabo wasn't sure if the man was armed or if he had grabbed the officer's gun. The shooting, shortly after 10 a.m., was in an area before security check points. The airport remained open.

"I don't want to venture a guess, but we have several witnesses who saw it happen, a number of police officers, TSA employees and some passengers as well," Szabo said.
No employees at the United Airlines ticket counter were wounded in the shooting, United spokesman Robin Urbanski told The Associated Press. MetroHealth would not released the unidentified officer's condition, but confirmed that he was at the hospital.

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Concern for 'a great officer'
Copyright 2006 Plain Dealer Publishing Co.

By MICHAEL O'MALLEY
Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Patrolman Steve Walker, hospitalized in intensive care with a 9mm bullet lodged in his back, is a top-notch officer with a good service record, his superiors say. His wife says he's "a big teddy bear."

Bernice Walker, keeping vigil at her husband's bedside, shied away from reporters at MetroHealth Medical Center on Thursday, but more than a dozen officers, including Police Chief Michael McGrath, gathered to display their support for their injured comrade.

"I know him personally," McGrath told a news conference outside the hospital. "He's been a great officer."

Walker, 52, the father of two grown daughters, was shot in the chest by Kenneth Calloway, 38, of Cleveland, on Thursday at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Walker never lost consciousness as doctors stabilized him with blood transfusions and painkillers.

Dr. Charles Yowler, head of Metro's trauma division, said there was no immediate plan to remove the bullet.

In most chest-area shootings, Yowler said, bullets are not removed unless bleeding is severe.

He said Walker lost a lot of blood and suffered lung damage and broken ribs from the wound. By late Thursday the bleeding had stopped, said Yowler, but a blood clot formed on Walker's lung.

Doctors were planning to suck out the clot today by inserting a tube through his chest. Yowler said he is hopeful Walker won't have to be cut open.

"He's doing very well considering what happened to him," Yowler said. "He's not in a lot of pain. If everything goes well, he'll be out of the hospital in five to seven days."

Walker was raised in Alabama and moved to Cleveland when he was 19. He graduated from Cuyahoga Community College and has been on the police force for 18 years. He has been on the airport beat for 10 years.

Records show he has never used deadly force or fired his gun while on duty. Since 2000, he has made six felony arrests and eight misdemeanor arrests, according to records.

Recent department evaluations of Walker, badge No. 605, show mostly superior ratings. He received written praise from the department for helping Parma police arrest a sex-crime suspect at the airport and for catching a gunman who broke into a woman's home and threatened to kill her.

The Walkers, who have been married 21 years, have two daughters: Stephanie, 26, of Nashville, Tenn., and Sanetta, 30, of Cleveland. Stephanie, trying to get to her father's bedside, was unable to find a flight out of Nashville before today, so Tom Ganley, owner of the Ganley automobile dealerships, sent his private jet Thursday to pick her up. The police union went to Ganley for help, and he offered the use of his plane.

Through a hospital spokeswoman, Bernice Walker described her husband as "very warm, outgoing and a big teddy bear."

"My daughters and I would sincerely like to thank the community for its outpouring of concern, interest and support regarding my husband's well-being," she said in a statement released through the hospital. "Your calls and prayers are greatly appreciated."

Copyright © 2006 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy

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Posted by: Andy0921

my thoughts and prayers go out to the officers family

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Posted by: SOT

Just curious, was this guy wearing a vest and it just missed the vest? or was he not wearing a vest at all?

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Posted by: spdawg0734

He was not wearing a vest, the important question we should be asking, not to criticize, but to learn from this is how did the suspect get a hold of the second officers weapon. I looked everywhere and it has not been spelled out. Apparently he was the first on scene and it was the second officer that was disarmed and the third officer to arrive to engage, and disable the suspect. As painful and cold as it would seem, we all need to learn from events like these. Was it poor design of the holster or poor retention technique or poor judgment. Again not to criticize but learn from the event. I am glad he is doing well and my thought and prayers are with his family.
Stay Safe.

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