Police body camera footage shows a Clark County sheriff deputy shooting a news photographer without warning after apparently mistaking his camera for a gun.
Records released by the sheriff's office shows deputy Jake Shaw opening his cruiser door and firing two shots just a second later.
Andy Grimm, a photographer with the New Carlisle News, says he got out of his Jeep to take pictures of a traffic stop and started setting up his tripod and camera when he was shot in the side. The video shows Shaw realized his mistake immediately and apologized - the two men knew each other.
"Andy, I'm sorry, brother," Shaw said to Grimm in the video.
The Clark County sheriff's office has put Shaw on administrative leave and says he will attend a "critical incident debriefing."
Documents released Wednesday morning show Shaw immediately began administering first aid after the shooting, and asked for a medic but didn't give a reason. The 25-year-old has been a full-time deputy since 2016.
Records indicate that Shaw first said Grimm exited a vehicle with a gun, and the item was later determined to be "something that appeared to be a gun but was not."
The shooting happened Monday night in New Carlisle, north of Dayton. The case has been turned over to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Attorney General’s office says state prosecutors will take over the case. That means most aspects of the shooting are being handled by state officials.
Attorney General spokesperson Jill Del Greco confirmed the use of special prosecutors was requested by the Clark County prosecutor.
Grimm is “doing fine” after surgery, according to the newspaper, and he is expected to recover.
