Kenneth C. Smith

How they died

Deadly force

Off-duty officer Roger Jones shot and killed Kenneth Smith, 20, of Euclid, who Jones said he had seen reach for a handgun. The shooting occurred following a fight in a bar parking lot on Bolivar Avenue. Jones said he saw Smith fire a gun, then flee. The driver and a passenger surrendered. But Jones said he saw Smith reach for a gun, so he shot him. Smith's family sued Jones, claiming the victim was unarmed and trying to surrender. This past April, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty ruled the shooting justified, and praised Jones for "correctly and heroically" taking action to protect the safety of the citizens of Cleveland.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Kenneth C. Smith, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources