An incident in southeast Columbus led to police shooting an armed man who fled a traffic stop on Friday evening. According to 10TV, officers from the Columbus Division of Police attempted to pull the driver over near Burstock Road and Frebis Avenue at approximately 5:05 p.m., but the man refused to stop and subsequently led them to the 1400 block of Burstock Road. Sgt. James Fuqua stated that the suspect was seen holding a firearm while exiting his vehicle and running, seemingly heading toward a family member's house.
In a pursuit that unfolded, the male officer reportedly instructed the suspect multiple times to stop and to also drop the gun. The situation escalated when the suspect, still armed, turned and pointed the gun at the officer. This is when the officer decisively fired their weapon several times, striking the suspect, The Dispatch reports. It was emphasized that the suspect did not fire his weapon during the confrontation. The shooting took place near the Fairwood Apartments, close to the Deshler/Fairwood parks area, a detail corroborated by both sources.
The injured suspect was then transported to Grant Medical Center in stable condition, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. Adding to the account of events, a female passenger in the vehicle at the time of the traffic stop was reported to have complied with police directives and was detained for questioning. Thankfully, no civilians or officers were harmed in the incident.
As for the aftermath, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Force Investigation and Crime Scene units were tasked to look into the shooting, which is standard procedure in such cases, as indicated by Fox8. In a follow-up to the ongoing investigation, authorities announced that body camera footage from the incident is anticipated to be released after undergoing appropriate redactions in compliance with Ohio Public Records laws. Fuqua also took the opportunity to stress the importance of complying with police during a traffic stop, stating that "this situation could have easily been avoided".
As the investigation continues, Columbus police have temporarily closed off streets around the incident scene for BCI investigators to analyze. Fraternal Order of Police President Brian Steel, present during the media briefings, confirmed that the involved officers were unharmed. While further details have not been disclosed at present, the police are thankful that the event, which happened in view of people near the apartment complex, did not result in additional injuries. "Bullets don't have names," Sgt. Fuqua reminded the community in his remarks to the press.
