Lashing out at people after something wildly embarrassing happened to you is not exactly uncommon, but one deputy from Ohio might have taken it a little too far. The cop, who was merely using a portable toilet or porta-potty during a security job, was surprised that it got tipped over while he was inside. As soon as he got out, of course, he started shooting at a group of teenagers whom he accused as the culprits and even hit one of them.
This incident occurred in East Cleveland, Ohio, where the off-duty deputy in question was working a secondary job as security at an unnamed establishment in the area. It’s unclear why he became a target for the rather malicious prank of tipping off a porta-potty, but the officer was notably angry. According to him, he encountered a group of teenagers after getting out of the overturned porta-potty, “one of whom he reported was pulling a gun from his waistband,” based on WSMV’s reports.
Hence, the off-duty cop started shooting at the group, which then fled from the scene in a vehicle. Later that day, University Hospital reported that a 15-year-old boy showed up with a gunshot wound, and authorities now believe that this 15-year-old boy was the one shot by the porta-potty-pranked cop. Thankfully, the kid is reportedly expected to survive his injury.
People online think the cop overreacted
It appears that investigations are still ongoing to determine whether the boy and his friends were indeed the suspects or not. Meanwhile, the cop was virtually fine and suffered no injuries or conditions after his porta-potty mishap. However, it appears many people online thought his reaction was excessive because he shot and could’ve killed a juvenile, and it’s not clear yet if the casualty was even the suspect.
For the record, the off-duty cop was also a Special Deputy of Cuyahoga County, but he’s currently not employed there. He does, however, maintain his police commission through the Sheriff’s Department. For that matter, people online are also calling for a penalty of sorts, especially those who thought he was lying about why he shot people. Others were torn because tipping over a porta-potty while someone is inside can be harmful.
“While tipping over a porta-potty containing a cop is hilarious (‘I bet he was happier than a pig in shit!’), it is also definitely assault & battery and the kid doing it should be arrested and prosecuted,” says one commenter. “We have the deputy’s word that one of the teens had a gun and that’s it,” replied another.
“If someone does something bad to you that is obviously nonlethal responding with lethal force should disqualify you from the position and also probably the people who hired you,” believes another comment. “I’m not saying this shooting was justified….but I understand it.”
