Saturday, April 10, 2010

Neighbors Shocked by Fatal Shooting at Sikh Temple

BEDFORD, Ohio - Bedford police shot and killed an armed man early Thursday morning.

Authorities say at around 4:30 a.m., two members of the Sikh Temple on Tarbell Avenue flagged down a police officer patrolling the area.

They told him there was someone inside the building with a knife, and there were still two other temple members inside with him.

Officers entered a west side entrance, and confronted 41-year-old Ravinder Nijjar as he came down some steps and around the corner.

Police say Nijjar came toward the officers with a meat cleaver, despite warnings to drop it.

That's when an officer opened fire, striking him.

Nijjar was taken to Bedford Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 5:10 a.m.

According to police, Nijjar has a history of mental illness.

Bedford Police Chief Gregory Duber says his department has had prior encounters with the suspect. Nijjar was arrested in November, 2008 for yelling at passing vehicles.

Then, one month later, Nijjar was again arrested, this time for disorderly intoxication, following a fight in his apartment building.

Police say all of the incidents appeared to involve alcohol.

Nijjar's neighbor Jason Keith said, "I knew he had a drinking problem, but I thought he stopped drinking."

According to neighbors, Nijjar was unemployed. Although he had past history with the law, Keith said the whole incident is shocking. "I didn't see this coming. It's kind of scary. He could of lost it closer to home. He might have had a bad morning, somebody else could have walked up on him," said Keith.

with thanks : source : www.fox8.com

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