By Kaylee Remington
Advance Ohio Media
AKRON, Ohio — A 17-year-old boy in police custody died of a gunshot wound to the head while sitting in the back of an Akron police cruiser, a police spokesman and the Summit County Medical Examiner said.
The incident happened about 11 p.m. on 7th Street between Kenmore Boulevard and Maryland Avenue, Akron police Capt. Daniel Zampelli said. Xavier McMullen was later pronounced dead at the scene. An officer found a gun next to McMullen, Zampelli said.
A preliminary investigation indicates that McMullen shot himself, but Zampelli said it’s unclear whether the shooting was intentional or an accident.
Officers took him into custody as part of a robbery investigation, Zampelli said.
A man and a woman told police that they were seated in a van on 10th Street about 10 p.m. when three males approached. One of them showed them a gun and demanded money, Zampelli said.
They took property and ran away, he added.
An investigation led investigators to a 7th Street home. The homeowner allowed police inside where they found the three males and took them into custody, Zampelli said. Officers placed the suspects in separate cruisers.
Officers heard a gunshot as they continued their investigation. They rushed to the cruiser where McMullen was seated. The officers opened the door and found him with a fatal gunshot, Zampelli said.
Anthony Criss and Matthew Allen, both 18, are charged with aggravated robbery and were taken to the Summit County Jail.
The Akron Police Detective Bureau, Office of Professional Standards and Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating, Zampelli said.
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