Multiple agencies responded after a fugitive arrest attempt led to a deputy shooting.
EUCLID, Ohio — Residents at Harbor Crest Apartments saw a large police response Tuesday after U.S. Marshals tried to arrest a man wanted on child rape charges and a sheriff’s deputy shot him.
The morning operation unfolded around 7:15 a.m. at the apartment complex at 24453 Lakeshore Blvd. Federal authorities said officers were serving a warrant for 33-year-old Timothy Kukla, who was wanted on multiple counts of rape against a child.
Neighbor Letitia Jarmin said she was leaving for the grocery store when officers arrived. “I was in shock,” Jarmin said, describing the sudden law enforcement presence around the complex.
Authorities said Kukla fled to a balcony, dropped down to another apartment and broke into a unit where residents were inside. A Cuyahoga County sheriff’s deputy then shot him once in the cheek while trying to take him into custody.
Chief Deputy Brian Fitzgibbon of the U.S. Marshals Service said the operation posed a danger beyond the officers on scene. “I want to emphasize that there was a great risk to the safety of our citizens,” Fitzgibbon said.
Euclid police, Cuyahoga County sheriff’s deputies, Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers and U.S. Marshals remained at the complex as investigators worked the scene. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation sent its Force Investigations Unit and Crime Scene Unit after local agencies requested an independent review.
Kukla was alive and stable after the shooting, and officials said he was expected to fully recover. No officers were injured. Investigators had not said whether any residents inside the apartment Kukla entered were hurt.
The state investigation was ongoing Tuesday, with findings expected to be reviewed after evidence is collected and interviews are completed.
Author note: Last updated July 8, 2026.