The Cincinnati Police Department on Monday released details and body camera footage after an officer shot a man armed with a knife Sunday night in Walnut Hills.
The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. in the parking lot of an apartment building on Gilbert Avenue. During a Monday press conference, CPD Chief Teresa Theetge said officers were dispatched to the area for reports of a man armed with a knife and a gun.
Theetge played a 911 recording where the caller told the dispatcher he feared for his life.
“He’s extremely dangerous, I fear for my life,” the caller said. “How fast can you get here?”
“I don’t have an ETA,” the dispatcher responded.
“Get here as soon as possible,” the caller said.
Theetge said officers were at the scene within minutes and immediately tried to de-escalate the situation, but that the subject ran toward officers with a knife.
Body camera footage shows officers with their guns raised to 31-year-old Patrick Lyons, urging him to talk.
“What’s going on? I need you to talk to me, Pete,” the officer behind the camera is heard saying. “Don’t do this. Don’t do this. I need you to talk to me, man. What’s going on?”
Lyons shuffles in place before he sprints towards the officers, only making it a few steps before an officer fires, striking him twice in the hip, according to Theetge.
Officers quickly handcuffed Lyons after flipping him onto his stomach on the ground.
“That’s what they’re trained to do,” Theetge said. “Secure the individual who was posing the threat, check on their wellbeing, put him in a position that is most likely they can continue to breathe and then they start rendering aid until the fire department arrives.”
Lyons is still in the hospital recovering from surgery for the gunshot wounds, according to CPD.
“He is expected to recover,” Theetge said.
Theetge indicated during the press conference that Lyons may have been experiencing a mental health crisis before the shooting.
“CPD can be a resource to get family members connected with mental health professionals,” Theetge said. “If you try to do it through another avenue and you just feel like you’re hitting a wall or you just can’t make headway, call us. We have resources within our department, we have resources outside our department, we’d much rather work with family members to point them or get them in a right direction of mental health resources before we encounter an incident like this.”
Officers recovered a knife from the scene but did not find a firearm. Theetge said Lyons was released from jail two months ago after serving a sentence for aggravated robbery.
The city has launched an internal and external investigation with the Citizen’s Complaint Authority to review the use of force.
“We are committed, as always, to a thorough process that is transparent and in accordance with the collaborative agreement,” said Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval during the press conference.
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This article appears in Feb 19 – Mar 4, 2025.