Toledo police officers who shot, killed murder suspect identified

Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre uses a photograph during a news conference Monday as he describes the scene where Toledo police shot and killed Devon Tyrone Woods. At left is Toledo police Captain Ray Carroll.

The Blade/Dave Zapotosky
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Toledo police have released the names of the officers involved in shooting and killing a man Sunday night near the intersection of Dorr Street and Westwood Avenue after a high-speed chase.

Lt. Mark Collins and officers Charles Leroux and Diana Trevino fired the total of 34 rounds, five of which struck Devon Tyrone Woods, 21, of Detroit, who later was pronounced dead.

A warrant for the Detroit man's arrest was issued after he was accused of murdering his girlfriend about three weeks ago in the Detroit area. Toledo police believe that he was visiting another girlfriend in Toledo the night he was killed, Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre said.

Lt. Collins, Officer Trevino, Officer Leroux, and his partner, Officer Board, 36, who did not fire his weapon in the incident, were placed on administrative leave while the police department's firearms review board reviews the incident as standard procedure.

Lt. Collins, 42, is a 16-year-veteran of the police department. Officer Trevino, 43, has been with the department for 14 years, and Officer Leroux, 38, and Officer Board, 36, each for 10 years. None of them had previously discharged a weapon while on duty, Chief Navarre said.

The chief said the officers fired in self defense after the Detroit man fired at least three rounds at them in two episodes during the pursuit.

"Officer Board came very close to losing his life yesterday," Chief Navarre said.

The shooting happened about 8 p.m., shortly after the man's car struck another car in the rear, injuring a woman. She was not seriously hurt, officers said.

It occurred shortly after a car the suspect was driving, a dark blue Dodge Magnum station wagon, rear-ended another vehicle at a Westwood traffic light after fleeing police while heading east on Dorr, the chief said.

That vehicle was being driven by a woman who was taken to the hospital and was not seriously injured, Chief Navarre said. Her vehicle struck another vehicle, driven by a man who suffered mild injuries and refused medical treatment. There were two passengers in those two vehicles, who were not hurt, police said.

The suspect aimed and tried to fire a gun at an officer trying to extract him from the car, but a bullet was not in the chamber, Chief Navarre said. When the subject tried to fire again, the officer had moved away and a bullet struck a police car.

After a chase into a nearby field and another gunfire exchange, the suspect was shot several times by officers.

"At this point, it certainly appears to be a justifiable shooting," Chief Navarre said. It was "very, very lucky that no police officer was shot," he said, and that bystanders at the scene were not injured.

The chief said the man was involved in a call at

5:42 p.m. at Southgate Circle in South Toledo.

Two females living in an apartment in the 400 block of Southgate were approached in the hallway by a man they did not know. After a brief exchange, he pulled out a gun and threatened them, Chief Navarre said.

The females retreated into the apartment and called police. They provided officers with a license plate number that was confirmed as belonging to a car stolen in Livonia, Mich.

Officers from Toledo's Scott Park station found the vehicle, which was unoccupied, at 7:30 p.m. in Sleepy Hollow Park. The subject later returned to the vehicle and tried to switch license plates.

Officers tried to apprehend him but he fled in one of the vehicles. They followed him eastbound on Dorr Street to the intersection of Dorr and Westwood, where the suspect crashed his car.

He then fled about 100 yards northeast, through a wooded area, dropped to the ground and fired a shot at the pursuing officers before he was gunned down, police said.

The story as it appeared in earlier editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com:

A copy of a photo of Devon Tyrone Woods, provided by Toledo police, Monday, August 11, 2009 is shown.

By NEENA SATIJA

BLADE STAFF WRITER

Toledo police shot and killed a suspect at 8:03 Sunday night near the intersection of Dorr Street and Westwood Avenue after a high-speed car chase, Chief Mike Navarre said.

The suspect is believed to be a 21-year-old man from Detroit. Chief Navarre said the man was shot several times.

The shooting happened shortly after the suspect's car, a dark blue Dodge Magnum station wagon, rear-ended another vehicle at a Westwood traffic light after fleeing police while heading east on Dorr, the chief said.

That vehicle belonged to a woman who was taken to the hospital and was not seriously injured, Chief Navarre said. Her vehicle struck another vehicle, driven by a man who suffered mild injuries.

The suspect aimed and tried to fire a gun at an officer trying to extract him from the car, but a bullet was not in the chamber, Chief Navarre said. When the subject tried to fire again, the officer had moved away and a bullet struck a police car.

After a chase into a nearby field and another gunfire exchange, the suspect was shot several times by officers.

"At this point, it certainly ap-pears to be a justifiable shooting," Chief Navarre said. It was "very, very lucky that no police officer was shot," he said, and that bystanders at the scene were not injured.

The incident will be reviewed by the police department's firearms review board as standard procedure, and the three officers who fired their weapons will be placed on administrative leave.

Chief Navarre said he would release the names of those officers this morning. He also expected to identify the suspect today.

The chief said the man was involved in a call at

5:42 p.m. at Southgate Circle in South Toledo.

Two females living in an apartment in the 400 Block of Southgate were approached in the hallway by a man they did not know. After a brief exchange, he pulled out a gun and threatened them, Chief Navarre said.

The females retreated into the apartment and called the police. They provided officers with a license plate number that was confirmed as belonging to a car stolen in Livonia, Mich.

Officers from Toledo's Scott Park station found the vehicle, which was unoccupied, at 7:30 p.m. in Sleepy Hollow Park. The subject later returned to the scene, and officers were unable to apprehend him before he fled with the vehicle. Police followed him eastbound on Dorr Street.

The intersection of Dorr and Westwood remained closed late last night.

Contact Neena Satija at:nsatija@theblade.com

or 419-724-6272.