Witnesses Back Cincy Cop in Fatal Shooting

Published January 13, 2015

Police said Thursday they have located four witnesses who support the account of a policeman who shot and killed an armed man at an apartment complex.

Officer Mitchell Koogler fatally shot Cleophis Craver, 20, of Dayton, on Monday night at the Summit Square Townhouse Apartments on the city's west side. Police said Koogler had been responding to a disturbance in the parking lot, where several people were firing guns.

Koogler told investigators he confronted Craver, who walked toward him, raised a large handgun and pointed it at the officer.

Dayton police Lt. Col. John Compston said the four witnesses verified Koogler's account.

"They saw Mr. Craver both with the gun in his hand and his arm coming up toward the officer," Compston said.

Two other witnesses heard Koogler order Craver to drop the gun, Compston said.

The shooting created some tension in the largely black neighborhood, but there have been no disturbances, Compston said. The officer is white, and the victim black.

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