March 30, 2023 Cleveland Police Det. Mark Bahrijczuk suffered life-threatening injuries when he was shot in the left arm and the thigh while investigating stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles earlier this month.
By Molly Walsh Source cleveland.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
CLEVELAND—Cleveland police released body camera video Thursday showing the moment an on-duty detective was shot earlier this month.
“I need somebody,” Det. Mark Bahrijczuk yelled into his police radio as he clutched his left arm, according to the video. “I’m shot, I’m shot.”
Bahrijczuk, who has been with the department for about four years, was shot twice at about 6:30 p.m. March 14 while investigating stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles near E. 30th and Cedar Avenue, authorities said.
Police obtained an arrest warrant for a 17-year-old boy in connection with the shooting, police spokesperson Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.
Cleveland.com does not name children who are charged as juveniles.
A police report dated March 24 that the department just provided to the public on Thursday said that Bahrijczuk sustained life-threatening injuries after being shot once in the thigh and once in the arm.
The report was filed by Bahrijczuk’s partner, Officer Kyle Schinke. Schinke wrote the two started following a Kia as it drove into the Cedar Estates housing complex and then back out, and pulled into a parking lot across the street.
The officers decided to stop the car, and two people, including the driver, got out and ran, the report said.
Schinke ran after the driver toward Central Avenue, and Bahrijczuk drove the police cruiser over to where they were headed and encountered the driver, the report said.
Video from Bahrijczuk’s body camera shows the detective got out of the car and ordered the driver to get on the ground.
The video captured the gunman fire at least three shots at the officer while running away.
Bahrijczuk fell to the ground and screamed several expletives, the video showed. Cleveland police blurred a pool of blood that had formed on the ground.
Bahrijczuk was taken to Metro Health Medical Center by officers who responded to the scene. He is expected to be released from the hospital while still recovering from two gunshots.