Cleveland Heights police have released over two dozen body camera videos and detailed reports regarding the police shooting of 18-year-old Christian Thomas on August 29. The newly released materials, obtained through a public records request, capture the tense aftermath of the shooting but do not include footage of the actual confrontation between Thomas and the officers.
According to the reports, the incident began when Thomas’ father, Ferrel, called the police around 10 p.m. to help resolve a family dispute. His son, Christian, was armed and had his finger on the trigger of a handgun when officers arrived. The situation escalated when Christian fired at least one shot inside the home during an argument with his father, prompting officers to ask Ferrel to leave the house.
Christian later exited the home and encountered three officers, who, according to police reports, fired up to nine shots. The videos released show Ferrel Thomas sitting in his yard, visibly shaken, saying, “I should have stayed inside with him.”
A police officer reassured him, stating the officers “had no choice,” while Ferrel responded, “I tried talking him down.”
Attorney Stanley Jackson, representing the Thomas family, expressed frustration with the release, claiming the city had not been fully transparent. He noted that Cleveland Heights Police Chief Christopher Britton previously mentioned seeing video footage that did not show Christian pointing a gun at officers. “Whatever the police chief saw, we haven’t seen,” Jackson said.
The reports indicate that Christian was under the influence of psilocybin mushrooms at the time of the incident, and police later found mushrooms and fentanyl in the home. The dispute reportedly started after Ferrel discovered a bag of mushrooms and told his son to move out. Christian, agitated and believing a family member had died, refused to put down the gun despite officers’ repeated commands.
After the shooting, police recovered a handgun and a spent shell casing at the scene. While initially blaming the officers for his son’s death, Ferrel later acknowledged the tragic circumstances, telling a family member, “They didn’t do it. He did it to himself.”
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing as calls for further transparency continue.