A North Carolina man who police fatally shot Tuesday morning in South Toledo had numerous weapons in his car and appears to have been a case of “suicide by cop,” Toledo Police Chief Mike Troendle said during a news conference Friday afternoon.
Police video showed Zachary Orion Reed, 22, turning to emerge from his car with a handgun drawn after what Chief Troendle said was about half an hour of negotiation in a parking lot at a boarded-up retail building in the 3100 block of Airport Highway, just east of Byrneport Drive. A barrage of gunfire erupted from police surrounding the driver’s side of the car, and Reed was hit by a still-uncertain number of shots.
“My initial belief is that our officers acted appropriately,” but an investigation continues to iron out details and assess what might be done differently in comparable situations in the future, the chief said…