On October 10, 2016, Devan Desnoyers, a 26-year-old male, was shot and killed by police in Westlake, Ohio. Desnoyers was suspected of robbing a CVS pharmacy earlier that morning. After the robbery, he fled the scene in a white Mazda, which eventually crashed at the intersection of Detroit and Crocker roads. Two Westlake police officers, a 38-year-old with 13 years of experience and a 28-year-old with three years of experience, fired their weapons at Desnoyers as he exited the vehicle. Despite efforts to save him, Desnoyers was pronounced dead at St. John Medical Center.
Desnoyers had a history of criminal activity. In April 2016, he was arrested by Fairview Park Police and later indicted on two counts of burglary and two counts of theft/aggravated theft. He was out on a $5,000 bond at the time of his death. Investigators found either a firearm or a realistic-looking replica at the scene. Desnoyers was also linked to a string of CVS drugstore robberies in the Northeast Ohio area, where he allegedly passed notes to clerks claiming he had a gun.
Following the incident, the two officers involved were placed on administrative leave, as is customary in officer-involved shootings. An investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, North Olmsted police, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and Bay Village police concluded that the officers' use of force was appropriate. A Cuyahoga County grand jury declined to bring charges against the officers, agreeing that they faced what appeared to be a life-threatening situation.
In summary, Devan Desnoyers' death resulted from an officer-involved shooting following a robbery, with the officers involved later cleared of any criminal wrongdoing.
