ELYRIA, OH — A newly released police body-camera video is giving the public a closer look at the intense moments when an Elyria police officer kicked down the door of an apartment and opened fire on an armed suspect who had allegedly forced a mother and her young children inside at gunpoint.
The January 21, 2026 incident began with an armed robbery and ended with the suspect dead inside a North Olmsted apartment.
This week, a Cuyahoga County grand jury declined to indict the officer involved, clearing him of criminal charges related to the shooting.
According to investigators, 37-year-old John P. Johnson of Lorain was suspected of robbing a Brink’s armored truck employee at an AT&T store on West River Road North in Elyria.
Police said Johnson allegedly forced the driver into the armored vehicle, took an undisclosed amount of cash and then fled in another vehicle.
Police quickly located the vehicle, leading to a high-speed pursuit involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
Authorities said the chase reached speeds of more than 100 mph before coming to an end in North Olmsted after police deployed stop sticks. Johnson allegedly crashed and then fled from the vehicle while armed with a handgun.
He then ran toward a nearby apartment complex.
Doorbell camera footage captured the frightening moments that followed.
According to investigators, Johnson approached a mother who was outside with her children as they were unloading groceries. A handgun could be seen as he allegedly forced the woman into her apartment.
Two of the woman’s children, ages 8 and 7, remained outside, while the mother and her two younger children — a 5-year-old and a 9-month-old baby — were inside the apartment with Johnson.
An Elyria police cruiser can be seen arriving as the suspect forces the mother through the doorway.
Officer Ali Sabeiha then moved toward the apartment.
Body-camera footage shows Sabeiha getting out of his cruiser and telling the children who were outside to move away from the area. He then rushed toward the residence, kicked the door open and entered.
Within seconds, the officer opened fire.
Investigators said Johnson presented a firearm and created an immediate deadly threat inside the apartment. Sabeiha told investigators he believed Johnson was about to shoot him or use the mother as a human shield and said there was no realistic opportunity to issue warnings before engaging the suspect.
The body-camera footage shows just how close the mother and her children were to the gunfire. At one point, the mother can be seen pulling her baby toward her on the floor while the 5-year-old was nearby.
Officers immediately provided medical assistance before he was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police said the mother and all of her children were safely removed from the apartment. No officers or civilians were reported injured during the incident.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation conducted an independent investigation into the shooting.
The findings were presented to a Cuyahoga County grand jury on August 11, 2026. The grand jury returned a no bill, meaning it declined to bring criminal charges against Officer Sabeiha.
The Elyria Police Department said a separate use-of-force review also concluded that Sabeiha’s actions were objectively reasonable under the circumstances.
Elyria Police Chief James Welsh defended the officer’s actions, describing the situation as an extremely dangerous and rapidly developing hostage situation involving an armed suspect and multiple children.
The department said the independent investigation is being made available to the public, including photographs, audio, video and other investigative materials.
The case has now drawn renewed attention after the release of the body-camera footage, which shows the split-second decision Officer Sabeiha made after learning that an armed suspect had entered the apartment with a mother and her children.
What began as an armed robbery and a dangerous police pursuit ultimately turned into a hostage situation — with the confrontation ending in a fatal police shooting inside the family’s home.
The grand jury’s decision means Sabeiha will not face criminal charges over Johnson’s death.