NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WJW) – Newly released police video is revealing the violent confrontation between a gunman and North Olmsted Police after the suspect robbed a Starbucks on Monday morning.
Investigators say the man, identified as 30-year-old Dominique Hullum of Cleveland, engaged in two separate shoot-outs with officers before being taken into custody.
The incident began to unfold at 8 a.m., when the suspect walked into the Starbucks on Lorain Road, announced a hold-up and ordered a terrified employee to place the cash drawers in bags.
The gunman then ran out the front door.
The Starbucks is across the street from the North Olmsted Police Department and an officer responded to the scene within seconds. Dash camera video reveals that he spotted the suspect fleeing with the bags just after he left the Starbucks parking lot.
The video shows the officer quickly turning around and getting behind Hullum, who has a gun in one hand and the bag of cash drawers in the other.
The video shows the officer hitting Hullum from behind with the front bumper of his SUV. Hullum then fires several shots at the SUV and officer returns fire.
Investigators say Hullum then ran to a getaway car he had parked a couple of blocks from the Starbucks, jumped in and sped away.
A second dashcam video shows officers pursuing the car and the suspect making the fateful decision to turn into a residential neighborhood.
He eventually drives into a cul-de-sac, and once he realized he was trapped, tried to escape by driving through a yard.
The video shows Hullum’s car being pinned in by one of the pursuing officers. With nowhere to go, the suspect engaged in a second shootout with police.
Hullum was struck several times, but refused to surrender.
During a 20 minute stand-off that followed, Hullum had an emotionally charged conversation with officers who had him surrounded.
“He kept apologizing to his mother, telling everybody this was an accident, a mistake, so I don’t think he had a full-fledged plan on what he was trying to do and whatever plan he had obviously failed quickly,” said Sgt. Matt Beck.
Eventually, Hullum was taken into custody and transported by life squad to University Hospitals.
Police say Hullum’s plan to rob the Starbucks was doomed from the start.
“Definitely wasn’t a wise decision. He was outmanned, outnumbered, outgunned, the whole nine yards,” said Sgt. Beck.
Police say the only officer who was injured in the two shootouts was the patrolman who initially attempted to stop Hullum. He was hit by flying glass but is going to be okay.
Hullum is under police guard as he is being treated for the gunshot wounds.