JACKSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio – A clash with a 20-year-old armed robbery suspect ended peacefully after a Jackson County police department officer traded his gun with him, telling him at one point, “You’re too young, friend. You are too young. “
Rashawn Harper, 20, of Tennessee, was arrested and sent to Stark County Jail on the following charges:
- Aggravated theft, a first-degree felony
- Criminal aggression, a second-degree crime
- Carrying a concealed weapon, two offenses, a fourth-degree felony
- Weapons with disabilities, two offenses, a third-degree felony
- Aggravated threat, lack of first degree
- Receiving stolen property (a firearm was stolen), a fourth-degree felony
- Obstructing official business, a fifth-degree felony
- Unloading a firearm near prohibited premises, a third-degree felony
On Saturday, at approximately 3 p.m., officers responded to a store on the 5000 block of Fulton Drive to report an armed robbery.
As they responded, officers learned that a witness to the robbery had been 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 the gun at the witness and struck the front corner panel of the witness vehicle.
“He’s shooting at me! He has a gun!” said the 51-year-old woman, who relayed Harper’s location to the police office.
Harper parked his vehicle at block 5400 of Blackthorne Avenue NW, where a resident later told police that someone was seen running through the backyard toward an old golf course, the officer said.
Officers located Harper on block 3600 of Wackerly Drive, where he was sitting on a swing with a handgun.
In the body camera footage, one of the agents can be heard responding by begging Harper to place the weapon.
“We can help you, my friend. We won’t hurt you. I promise we won’t hurt you. Put it on, ”an officer said.
At one point in the video, the agent promised to look for a therapist for Harper, who said he had no medication.
“Throw that gun out of there. I leave 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 drop his weapon.
“Come on, buddy, you have to talk to me. Dude, you’re 20 years old. He’s still so young. Come on, buddy, we don’t want to do that. You just have to say it. [gun] down, sprout. We don’t want to do that. You don’t want to do that. You are 20 years old, ”the officer said.
After minutes of negotiations, Harper dropped his weapon and the agent who negotiated with him climbed up and handcuffed him, continuing the dialogue.
“What’s up dude? Look at me. What’s up?” The officer said.
“I 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 stays in the Stark County Jail.