No injuries at Amazon warehouse where suspect opened fire earlier
A gunman who opened fire inside an Amazon warehouse facility in West Jefferson was killed by Columbus police after the man shot one officer on Sunday evening on the West Side.
Officer shot at Amazon warehouse but not seriously injured
The officer was shot in his bulletproof vest and was not seriously injured, police union leaders said. It was the second fatal shooting by a Columbus officer who was fired upon in less than 24 hours, with an officer in Euclid, a suburb near Cleveland also being shot and killed Saturday night.
No injuries were reported at the Amazon facility.
Suspect of shooting was an employee at Amazon
West Jefferson police confirmed the suspect had been an employee at Amazon and that one shot caused damage to a building at the warehouse at about 4:45 p.m.
Brian Steel, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, told The Dispatch officers from Madison County in an unmarked vehicle tracked the suspects’ car as he fled to Columbus and radioed for assistance. Multiple agencies in the area responded.
Officers engage in gunfire with suspect
The male fired at officers when they tried to stop the vehicle. Officers returned fire, Steel said.
The shooting occurred around 6:15 p.m. near the busy intersection of Georgesville and Clime roads, located just east of the I-270 outerbelt.
Steel said the vest likely saved the officer’s life. He was expected to be released from the hospital within a few hours.
“You always have to be aware but when it happens like this and with what happened in Euclid, you’re extra aware,” Steel said. “It’s definitely in the backs of the minds of officers.”
Madison County Sheriff’s office investigating the incident
The Madison County Sheriff’s office said in a post on its Facebook page that deputies got a call about a possible active shooter at the warehouse located west of West Jefferson. The sheriff’s office and West Jefferson police responded and are investigating.
Background on recent police shootings
On Saturday evening, Columbus police fatally shot a man who police said opened fire at them with a rifle while officers were responding to a domestic dispute. Officers later found a woman who died after appearing to have been shot by the male before officers arrived.
Both of the Columbus police shootings are being investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, in accordance with department policy. After the investigations are completed, they will be reviewed by the Franklin County Prosecutor’s office and presented to a grand jury, which is that office’s policy for all fatal shootings involving police.
In Shaker Heights, Ohio, Deshawn Anthony Vaughn, 24, who was sought by police as a suspect in the fatal shooting Saturday night of Euclid police officer Jacob Derbin on the 300 block of East 211th St. Vaughn died Sunday evening during a standoff with SWAT units at an apartment building in Shaker Heights.
Derbin, who was in his first year as a police officer, was killed when he responded just before 10 p.m. Saturday for a disturbance, according to News Channel 5 Cleveland. Police described the shooting as an “ambush.”
The Dispatch will update this breaking news story as more information becomes available.
