‘I started running;’ Man shot by suspect after confronting him following crash in Xenia

XENIA — Two people were injured in a shooting in Greene County early Friday morning.

Police and deputies were called out to the 200 block of E. Second Street in Xenia on reports of a multi-vehicle crash around 1:30 a.m. While they were on the way to the scene, they were alerted to possible gunshots heard in the area, according to Xenia Police Sergeant Matt Miller.

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When they got to the scene, they found two men who had been shot.

One of the men had suffered a minor injury to his leg, but the other was shot multiple times and was taken to Miami Valley Hospital.

A preliminary investigation showed that the suspect crashed into several cars on the street and tried to run from the scene.

Shannon Pollack lives near where the crash happened. He went outside and saw two people standing down the street.

“I said, ‘What’s going on’ and they just bolted,” Pollack told News Center 7.

He and a neighbor followed them and confronted them.

“I cornered them and said, ‘Hey, you guys can’t leave. We got to have the police here,’” he recalled.

As the men stood there, Pollack sensed something was wrong.

“I tell you, it happened so quick. It was just like an instinct. Before he pulled (the gun) out, I started running. I knew something wasn’t right,” he said.

Pollack was hit in the leg, but his neighbor was shot multiple times and taken to Miami Valley Hospital.

Police have described the suspect as a “slender black male,” between 16-30 years old, wearing a face mask, ripped jeans, and a dark-colored hoodie.

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The vehicle the suspect had been driving was reported stolen from a Circle K gas station on Wyoming Drive. Xenia officers are also investigating reports of another stolen vehicle from the same gas station early this morning. They have not confirmed that the two incidents are connected.

Both incidents remain under investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this is asked to call the Xenia Police Division Criminal Investigation Section at (937) 376-7206 or leave a voicemail at the Xenia Police Tip Line at (937) 347-1623.

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