A Columbus, Ohio, police officer was relieved of his duty after the deadly shooting of a 47-year-old black man Tuesday in which he failed to activate his body camera, Mayor Andrew Ginther (D) announced.
Why it matters: The shooting of the unnamed man comes after the December 4 death of Casey Goodson, Jr., a 23-year-old black man who was shot and murdered by a sheriff’s deputy, sparking protests against police brutality.
“Our community is still raw and exhausted from the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and, most recently, Casey Goodson, Jr., here in Columbus.”
– Statement from Ginther
Details: Ginther said during a briefing that the police body’s cameras included a 60-second “look-back” feature, meaning the recording was taken before the officer turned on his camera after the incident. But this does not record audio.
- “The officer involved has been relieved of duty, forcing him to surrender his badge and gun and deprive him of police authority pending the outcome of the criminal and subsequent internal investigations,” Ginther said in a social media post.
- The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
- Neither the police officer nor the man who died has been publicly identified.
What they say: Police said in a statement Officers were called to a non-emergency breakdown Tuesday at 1:37 a.m. about a man in an SUV who had been turned on and off multiple times.
- The officer opened fire as the man approached them with a phone in his left hand and his right hand in his pocket, according to the statement. “A weapon has not been recovered from the crime scene,” the statement said.
- Columbus City Council said in a statement Tuesday, “The heartbreaking heartbreak of learning that an unarmed black man was murdered by a Columbus police officer last night is beyond description.
“Thoughts and prayers cannot ease this pain, and Columbus City Council members are extremely frustrated with this senseless death. Too many families in our community are grieving at a time when we should seek peace and hope.”