Tony Brock is due in a Columbus courtroom Tuesday morning to learn how long he will spend in prison for shooting and killing 52-year-old Bret Bennett, the owner of Village Cigars in German Village, during an apparent road-rage confrontation on Interstate 670 in November 2023. Brock pleaded guilty earlier this year to involuntary manslaughter and weapons charges rather than face trial on the original murder charge tied to the case.
The shooting happened just after 5 p.m. on November 10, 2023, when Columbus Police officers responded to a report of gunfire on eastbound I-670 between North 4th Street and Cleveland Avenue. Officers found Bennett suffering from a gunshot wound, according to 10TV. Sunny 95 reported that Bennett died at the scene of the Interstate 670 shooting. Bennett lived in Grove City and owned Village Cigars in German Village.
As reported by WSYX, Brock is connected to the deadly shooting along I-670 and now awaits sentencing after admitting responsibility in the case.
How Investigators Zeroed In On Brock
In the aftermath of the shooting, Brock's defense attorney contacted Columbus Police homicide detectives and admitted that Brock had fired the gun that killed Bennett. Police later located Brock's black Ford F-150 pickup truck, and Brock was arrested, the same 10TV report notes. He was initially arrested on a murder charge, and Franklin County Municipal Court set his bond at $500,000.
The case took an unexpected turn the following month. In December 2023, a Franklin County grand jury declined to indict Brock on murder charges, citing insufficient evidence. Under Ohio law, self-defense is an affirmative defense, and once initial evidence is raised, prosecutors carry the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused did not act in self-defense.
Prosecutors Refile, Then Reach A Plea Deal
A new indictment followed in February 2024, and Brock pleaded not guilty on February 26, 2024, while both legal teams reviewed the evidence. The prosecution ultimately culminated in Brock's guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter and weapons charges.
The distinction carries major consequences for how much time Brock will serve. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2903.04, involuntary manslaughter as a first-degree felony carries a prison sentence ranging from 3 to 11 years. Had Brock been convicted of murder instead, Ohio law would have required a mandatory sentence of 15 years to life in prison, according to legal analysis from Rutan Law.
A Deadly Weekend On Columbus Freeways
The shooting on I-670 was one of two freeway shootings reported in Columbus within 12 hours. A separate freeway shooting was also reported within that period.
Gun-related road-rage disputes have been reported in Columbus. Hoodline previously reported one November 2025 North Linden road-rage killing involving Hannah Taylor on East Hudson Street.
Tuesday's hearing will close out a case that stretched nearly three years from the moment Bennett was found dying in his car on the highway to Brock's eventual guilty plea. Bennett owned Village Cigars in German Village, and the sentencing marks the final chapter in a legal process that culminated in an admission of guilt.
