Columbus police shoot, kill person who shot officer, chief says
Columbus police killed a 30-year-old man who shot an officer near Earline Avenue and 43rd Street Wednesday afternoon.
During a news conference, Columbus Police Chief Freddie Blackmon said officers were called to the 4200 block of Earline Avenue regarding a domestic dispute. When police arrived, an unidentified suspect “took off running and fired a shot,” Blackmon said.
Officers pursued the man on foot. The man fired another shot and hit an officer. The officer didn’t sustain a life-threatening injury. Police fired back at the suspect and wounded him. Police administered CPR, but the suspect later died, Blackmon said.
Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan told the Ledger-Enquirer that the shooter was a 30-year-old man. His name has not been released. Columbus police have not identified the officer who shot and killed the man.
The GBI and the police department’s office of professional standards are conducting an investigation into the shooting. The officer is placed on administrative leave pending the investigation, Blackmon said.
An officer attempting to respond to the shooting was involved in a crash at the intersection of Manchester Expressway and Veterans Parkway, Blackmon said.
A GBI spokesperson contacted by the Ledger-Enquirer provided no further information.
“This (investigation) is in its very (preliminary) stages. This is the information that we have at this time to provide,” Blackmon said. “That’s all I have to share at this particular time.”
This is a breaking story and will be updated as we get more information.
A previous version of this story stated the age of the deceased to be 20; the current version has been updated to reflect that the deceased is actually 30.
Ledger-Enquirer reporter Kelby Hutchison contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 5:30 PM.