A Franklin County grand jury on Thursday, June 4, 2026, declined to indict the Grove City police officers who shot and killed a man after a prolonged barricade and foot chase last October. Jurors returned a "no bill" after a months-long review, which halts the county's criminal prosecution of the officers for now. Police previously identified the man as 32-year-old Dominique Byrdsong.
How the October standoff unfolded
The confrontation started on Oct. 8, 2025, with a burglary call to the 3800 block of Louise Court. The suspect barricaded himself inside a home for about three hours, according to WOSU. Grove City authorities said the department's Strategic Response Team moved in to contain the scene. As evening fell, the man ran from the house, triggering a foot pursuit.
Spectrum News reported that witnesses and officers said the man fired at police at least twice and hit one officer. Officers returned fire. Both the wounded officer and Byrdsong were taken to nearby hospitals.
Grand jury declines to indict
The Franklin County grand jury returned a "no bill" after prosecutors laid out their review of the officer-involved shooting, according to 10TV. The prosecutor's office has a policy that any fatal on-duty use of force must be presented to a grand jury for consideration.
By returning a "no bill," jurors signaled they did not find enough evidence to support criminal charges against the officers involved.
What a "no bill" means
In legal terms, a "no bill" means the grand jury decided the evidence did not establish probable cause to indict. It is not an acquittal, and it does not settle any civil liability or internal discipline questions, as the Legal Information Institute explains. Guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice also notes that in some situations, prosecutors may present a case to a different grand jury if new evidence comes to light, although the specific rules and practices vary by jurisdiction.
What's next for the case
Criminal charges are not expected at this point. That does not end the story, though. Relatives or the deceased's estate could still bring civil claims alleging excessive force under federal law, including lawsuits filed under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, as legal resources such as FindLaw explain.
Grove City police released body-worn camera footage and a department statement after the October shooting. That material, along with investigators' accounts, could be used as evidence in any civil lawsuit or administrative review of how the department handled the incident, according to WOSU.
