'I'm worried': Neighbor of man shot, killed by Canton police reported fighting in 911 call

• Jeffrey Neff, 41, of Canton, was shot by police and later died at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital.
• Police say officers were shot at and returned fire.
• The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting.

CANTON – A city man was shot and killed Wednesday night by police after he fired at officers who responded to a 911 call about a disturbance at his home, authorities said.

The man was identified as Jeffrey Neff, 41, of Canton.

Police arrived at the home in the 300 block of 25th Street SW for the reported disturbance just after 10 p.m.

"Shortly after arriving, officers were fired upon and returned fire, wounding the suspect," police said in a statement. "The suspect was transported to Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital, where he expired from his injuries. Officers were not injured."

Police Chief John Gabbard said in a news release that an officer was grazed by a bullet fired by the suspect, but was not hurt.

Canton police requested that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation investigate the shooting.

BCI’s investigation remains active and ongoing, said Steve Irwin, press secretary for Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. He said investigators will continue to gather and analyze physical evidence, and conduct witness interviews. Once completed, BCI's investigation will be referred to the county prosecutor, Irwin said.

What prompted the police response?

A neighbor called 911 Wednesday night asking for police to check on her neighbors — a man and woman — who were fighting.

The caller told a dispatcher that her neighbors were "fighting pretty bad" and she wanted to make sure no one was hurt.

"I'm worried. I heard them outside," the caller said. "I heard screaming and it sounded pretty loud."

What did neighbors witness?

Neighbors on the dead-end street off Cleveland Avenue SW were surprised Thursday morning to learn that their neighbor was dead.

One neighbor said he did not know the family personally but said they waved when they passed his home. Last night, he was watching a movie and didn't know if he heard any gunshots as the movie he was watching had a lot of gunfire.

He saw the police presence when he came out on his porch after 10 p.m. to have a smoke. He continued watching things unfold until he want to bed around 2:30 a.m., adding that authorities remained on the scene long after that.

Many neighbors made their way outside to watch what was unfolding, but it wasn't clear exactly what was going on.

Neighbors say the street is typically quiet

Ed Bennett, whose home is five houses away from Neff's, said he didn't hear any gunshots but he pieced together that Neff allegedly fled to the back of his home and onto the off-ramp of Interstate 77 that abuts the back of the homes on 25th Street SW.

Neighbors said their street is typically quiet despite the proximity to the I-77 interchange and busy Cleveland Avenue.

A woman at the home who identified herself as Neff's wife screamed at reporters who had gathered outside the home Thursday morning to leave.

The Stark County Coroner's Office had no details about Neff's injuries or cause of death early Thursday but said his body had been transported to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.