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Man dies in airport shooting; officer wounded

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