Columbus police fatally shoot man armed with knife, spokesperson says

A Columbus police officer fatally shot a man outside a Near East Side apartment after the man charged at officers with a knife, according to a Columbus police spokesperson.

The shooting happened about 9:30 a.m. Thursday outside the Creekside Apartments in the 500 block of Nelson Road.

Columbus police have not released the name of the man the officers shot, only that he died at an area hospital after suffering several gunshot wounds.

Here's what we know about Near East Side police shooting

Jennifer Watson, spokesperson for the Columbus police, said the initial report to dispatchers referenced a man who was cutting himself with a knife and possibly threatening another person.

Officers arrived at the apartment six minutes after the initial call and "immediately" came into contact with the man. Watson said the man charged at the officers with a large knife, demanding that the officers shoot him. The officers ordered him several times to drop the knife, Watson said.

The man charged at the officers a second time, and the officers fired several rounds, Watson said.

The person police shot was taken to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in critical condition, Watson said. He died at 10:05 a.m. from his injuries.

Watson said it was not immediately clear if the officers who responded to the scene were part of any alternative response program. However, she said officers "tried everything they could to prevent the situation from becoming what it eventually ended up becoming."

As is Columbus police protocol, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation will be leading the investigation into the shooting. The Franklin County Prosecutor's office will present the case to a grand jury for review after the investigation is complete, in accordance with that office's policies.

Who did Columbus police shoot in Near East Side incident?

As of noon Thursday, police have not identified the man who suffered the gunshot wound, nor have they identified the officer accused of shooting the man. Watson said it's unclear if the man has any prior history with police.

No other details were immediately available.

How many police shootings have there been in 2024?

Thursday morning's shooting is the second incident involving Columbus police so far in 2024.

On Feb. 7, a Columbus police sergeant fired multiple shots while on the hood of a vehicle that had struck him. The driver of the vehicle, 32-year-old Holly Graham, died Friday from her injuries.

On Sunday, a Mifflin Township police officer was seriously injured after being stabbed multiple times in the head. The officer in that instance, who has not been identified, did not fire their weapon. The suspect, Bryan Benjamin, 37, of Mansfield, is currently being held in the Franklin County jail and is charged with felonious assault on a police officer.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner