Chief says fatal officer-involved shooting was justified

CINCINNATI (Deb Dixon) - Several 911 calls came in from the community, from Westwood to Cheviot, as Paul Gaston waved a gun, wrecked his car, dropped the gun and picked it up again. All before he was confronted by police on Harrison Avenue and killed. The first 911 call was from Gaston's girlfriend who called police because he showed up at her sister's house. The sister was babysitting her children. 911: "There's a man out there waving the gun at kids." Then more calls came after Gaston wrecked his car at Boudinot and Harrison. 911: "He exited the car, stumbled out ,dropped his gun then picked it up and took off." Another caller said he appeared to be under the influence. When police cornered him, Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said the officers initially gave him commands to go to his knees. Then he was told to lie flat. Cellphone video shot from an eyewitness in a car showed what happened next. Cincinnati Chief Isaac said, "As you can see, he initially starts to go to the ground, then raises up and his right hand reaches into his waistband." The gun was an airsoft pistol that looked real. Police thought it was. Gaston was shot six times and killed. Mayor John Cranley called the shooting justified but also said it was sad to see a life lost. Pastor Ennis Tait said people will look at the video and wonder if there was something else the officers could have done. But he also said when their lives were at stake, they have to make split second decisions. The shooting was the second fatal police shooting in 2016. In January cruiser cam video showed officers telling Robert Tenbrink to stop and put his hands up over his head. Instead he turned and pointed an object at them that turned out to be a BB gun that looked like a real weapon. Tenbrink was shot and killed. FOP President Dan Hils said, "I think both cases are suicide by police. I think it's unfortunate people use police to commit suicide. The real victims are the police officers who have go to through the trauma. Something they had to for their own safety." Chief Isaac wouldn't call it suicide by cop. He did say officers did exactly what they were trained to do and it was sad when that had to include taking someone's life.