A University of Akron police department (UAPD) officer shot and killed 64-year-old James Genda, at about 11 a.m., May 16, during traffic stop after Genda allegedly brought out a handgun on Wolf Ledges Parkway, south of Thornton Street. The officer escaped injuries during the incident.

One of Akron Police Department Detective said that they are still unsure of the reasons that prompted the shooting.

According to the official reports, the UAPD officer had pulled the car over because the license plate didn't belong to that vehicle. As the officer approached the vehicle and asked the man for his driver's license and registration, Genda is alleged to have pulled a handgun, instigating the officer to fire several shots at him.

The police later reclaimed the Genda's gun and it turned out to be a BB pistol. The University Of Akron Police Chief, Paul Callahan, said the gun seem to be a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol.

"Officers aren't in a position to ask, is that a real gun you are pointing at me?  You know; they've got to respond when those things happen and anybody in that situation would have done the same thing," Chief of University of Akron Police Paul Callahan said. 

"When you perceive a threat, you've got to take immediate action," Akron police Lt. Rick Edwards said.

Genda's daughter, Michelle Harbaugh, 44, alleged that her father was holding an air gun and was trying to hand it over to the police when he was asked to show. Genda possessed the rifle as a defense guard while working on cars in his backyard as he was physically assaulted and lost his tools, last year. 

The officer in question will be placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.

University police and Akron city police are now collaborating together for a joint investigation. They will submit the report to the prosecutor to determine if the shooting was legitimized.

Both the shooter and the victim do not seem to have a good record.

Harbaugh said that her dad a good man, but not perfect. Genda is estimated to have 81 charges filed against him since 1990; majority of them is related to either a traffic violation or driving with improper license plates. Harbaugh further says that her dad never owned a license for the past 20 years.

On the other hand, the police officer associated with the shooting that is claimed to be a 10-year-veteran Aaron Burnette, who was once dismissed by the University of Akron.

Burnette was expelled, 2009, when an armed suspect, alleged that he employed excessive force by kneeing the handcuffed captive. After a judge reviewed the surveillance video of the incident, he found no proof of physical abuse. Therefore, Burnette was reinstated.