Deonte Alexander died as a result of being shot. The incident occurred in Cleveland, Ohio.
Fatal Cleveland shooting death of Deonte Alexander
Official records indicate Sterling Pettway, a 49-year-old Cleveland resident, faces charges connected to the death of Deonte Alexander. During a Wednesday event, Pettway is accused of fatally shooting Alexander before confronting police with a firearm. Minutes after the alleged killing, officers encountered Pettway on Cleveland’s West Side. He was allegedly holding a gun when he pointed it at an officer, leading to him being shot in the arm.
Court documents reveal Pettway has a history of violent offenses and drug-related convictions. His past includes multiple felony convictions stretching back to 2007. In 2017, he received a three-year prison sentence following convictions for robbery and drug charges. Additionally, he was found guilty of strangulation in 2023.
The current charges emerged from a sequence of events beginning around noon on Wednesday. Police were dispatched following reports of gunfire near West 73rd Street and Clark Avenue. At the scene, officers discovered Alexander, a 33-year-old Cleveland man, deceased from a head gunshot wound.
While securing the location, other officers initiated a pursuit after identifying the fleeing suspect as Sterling Pettway. Body-worn camera footage captures Pettway being chased through an alleyway by officers who repeatedly commanded him to halt and discard his weapon. Despite these warnings and the involvement of a K9 unit, he refused to stop.
The situation intensified when Pettway allegedly aimed his weapon directly at one officer. The officer then fired, striking Pettway in the arm. “I had no choice. He was putting that gun right in my face,” the officer stated on the video recording.
Pettway received medical treatment at a hospital and was subsequently processed at the Cuyahoga County Jail on Thursday. He appeared in Cleveland Municipal Court on Friday for formal charges. The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on paid administrative leave according to department procedures. No officers were injured during the confrontation.
The motive behind Alexander’s death remains unknown.
