Columbus police officer involved in fatal roadside shooting will not face charges

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Columbus police officer who fatally shot a person lunging at him with a broken bottle in 2023 will not face charges for the encounter.

The Franklin County Grand Jury decided not to seek an indictment for an officer involved in the shooting death of a man on Aug. 5, 2023. NBC4 has decided not to include the full body-camera footage or the name of the deceased because they appeared to be going through a mental health crisis during the incident.

Columbus police did not reveal the name of the officer involved, saying the information is protected under Marsy's Law. A 16-year-veteran of the force, the officer had been placed on administrative leave pending the state investigation. It is unclear if he will be reinstated.

The roadside shooting occurred when police were alerted to a man who looked like he might jump into traffic on a stretch of U.S. 23 near Rowe Road about three miles south of Interstate 270. When the officer arrived at around 1:10 a.m., he interacted with the man for around four minutes before discharging their firearm.

After the officer saw the man getting close to the roadway and asked if he was OK multiple times, he called backup over his radio, using the police code that the person was going through a mental health crisis. Then, the man lunged at the officer with a broken bottle in his hand, and could be heard telling the officer three times to shoot him.

“No, no, no, I don’t want to do that,” the officer responded. “I want to help you, buddy.”

The man walked in and out of the roadway before coming at the officer one more time. The officer then fired at the man three times. He was rendering aid until medics arrived about four minutes later. The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead at 1:55 a.m.