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Family says man shot, killed by police in Ohio while cleaning late grandmother's apartment

Body cam footage of the incident expected to be released by Friday.
Wyoming OIS
Posted at 7:54 PM, Feb 02, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-02 21:54:32-05

WYOMING, Ohio — A man who was shot by police this week in Wyoming, Ohio, about 12 miles northof Cincinnati, died in a hospital from his injuries, according to a coroner's report from Ohio's Hamilton County.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said three officers were dispatched to a home in the city of around 9,000 at around 12:40 a.m. Monday for a report of a possible burglary.

When officers arrived, they say they encountered two people in the back of a vacant home, according to Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey.

Police Chief Brooke Brady said on Tuesday the individuals were identified as Joe Frasure and his father. Family members at a Monday night vigil for Frasure said the two were not burglarizing the house, and said it belonged to a relative who had recently died.

On Wednesday, Wyoming police said Frasure's father was no longer "sought by police," but would not provide any other details.

The 911 caller who sent police to the residence said they believed the home should have been vacant.

Investigators said the two men did not respond to officers' commands and attempted to leave the scene. Brady said body-worn cameras captured Frasure refusing to exit a minivan at the back of a driveway. Brady said Frasure then reversed the vehicle "at a high rate of speed" before hitting a tree and accelerating toward the officers.

Shonda Coleman, a sister, commented on police statements claiming that commands were made. “I didn’t hear none of that. I didn’t hear no commands. All I heard is pop, pop, pop, pop. Like, it was, like, 10 rounds," she said.

He said officers fired four shots at Frasure before he crashed the minivan into a building. Frasure was then pulled from the vehicle and taken to a hospital where officials said he was placed in critical condition.

Frasure's brother, Joseph Frasure Jr., claims his brother was shot in the back of his head.

"Three times," he said. "You know if you're back of the head, that means you're not a threat right?"

Frasure's family said he was brain dead.

On Wednesday, the coroner's office reported that Frasure died but the specific cause and manner were not immediately released.

Brady said the body camera footage has been turned over to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office. Officials have not yet released the video. The prosecutor's office is expected to have a press conference Friday to provide additional information.

This story was originally published by WCPO in Cincinnati, Ohio with additions from Scripps News added after.