Body camera footage in police shooting released, victim ID’d
Body camera footage released Monday afternoon by Columbus police shows officers tried to use a stun gun on a man advancing toward them with a large knife before they fired fatal gunshots.
Colin Jennings, 26, died in the shooting that happened about 9:30 a.m. Thursday on North Nelson Road.
Columbus police are not identifying the officers involved in the incident, citing Marsy’s Law. The officers have 13 and 14 years of experience with the department, respectively, according to police.
The footage released Monday shows the officers approach the apartment complex. Within 15 seconds, Jennings walked toward the first responding officer with a knife raised in his right hand. Jennings is heard saying, “Shoot me” and “I want to die.”
An officer backed up while giving Jennings verbal commands, attempting to create distance from Jennings, who continued to advance toward the officer. That officer used a Taser on Jennings. The second officer gave Jennings verbal commands and fired three shots from a handgun within seconds.
It appeared from the footage that all three shots struck Jennings in the chest and torso area. The Franklin County Coroner’s office is conducting an autopsy.
Sgt. Rich Brooks said there are obstacles to deescalation in a situation like the one that unfolded Thursday, such as Jennings’ continued approach toward the officers. Brooks also said the stun gun was less effective because Jennings was wearing a thick jacket that prevented the probes from making contact with his skin.
Ken Coontz, Support Services Administrator for the Department of Public Safety, said the 911 call from Jennings’ boyfriend prompted the police response, which escalated quickly and prevented the ability of alternative responses, such as the Right Response Unit.
“Given the fast-moving developments and the deteriorating situation where the caller himself was put at risk, the concern became urgency,” Coontz said.
Within 45 seconds of the 911 call beginning, the caller said Jennings was attempting to take the phone from him, trying to punch the caller in the throat and preventing the caller from leaving the apartment. Coontz also said there had been a previous call to 911 involving Jennings and a weapon, although additional details of that call were not made available.
A review of the incident showed the apartment complex where the shooting occurred was not flagged in an internal system as housing residents with mental health needs, Coontz said.
The shooting took place outside the Creekside Apartments, which is supported by the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Board of Franklin County.