The Franklin County Coroner's Office has identified the man killed in a shooting involving Gahanna police on December 19 as 23-year-old Alex Russell. Authorities say officers confronted Russell after he was suspected of using a fraudulent credit card at SpringHill Suites, located at 665 Taylor Road, WBNS reported.
According to an account by The Columbus Dispatch, the confrontation began when Russell exited the hotel through a back window as officers attempted to engage with him. When officers observed that Russell was carrying a gun, they issued several commands, which he did not obey. Notably, Russell faced child prostitution charges in Oregon, where he had failed to appear in court, leading to an active arrest warrant.
Gahanna Police Chief Jeff Spence stated, "This is a traumatic incident and not something that we have in Gahanna, and in fact, it was 14, 15 years ago if I remember correctly our last fatal officer-involved shooting, luckily we live in a safe community, but that safety was threatened today," in a statement obtained by WBNS. The officers involved in the shooting are currently on administrative leave.
Body camera footage released by the Gahanna Police Department showed the moments before the fatal shooting. Russell, after agreeing to leave with officers and then attempting to escape, allegedly pointed his gun toward his head and then at the officers, prompting them to open fire. He was taken to Mount Carmel St. Ann’s hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:31 a.m., Dayton 24/7 Now reported.
The incident is under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The officers' identities have not been released, but it has been confirmed that no officers were injured during the incident. More information is expected to be released as the investigation continues.
