Ohio officer’s body cam not activated after fatal shooting of Black man in Columbus, officials say

A police officer in Columbus, Ohio, did not have their body camera fully activated during the fatal shooting of a 47-year-old Black man on Tuesday morning, officials said.

The incident is the second police shooting of this month, after 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. was fatally shot by local county sheriff’s deputy Jason Meade. Goodson’s death was ruled a homicide, and sparked protests in the city.

The Columbus Department  of Public Safety said the Tuesday shooting itself was captured on video due to a 60-second “look back” feature on the cameras. However, that function does not pick up audio, meaning it’s not known what was said before or during the shooting.

Available footage of Tuesday’s incident shows the victim walking toward the officer with a cell phone in his left hand, but his right hand was not visible, the Department said.

One officer fired his weapon, striking the man. The officer has not been identified.

The department said a preliminary investigation indicates the victim was visiting someone at the home. Footage also shows a “delay in rendering of first-aid to the man.”

The victim has not been identified.

Updated statement from @ColumbusPolice on Tuesday’s officer-involved shooting: pic.twitter.com/9E19M0iLPY

— Columbus Department of Public Safety (@ColumbusSafety) December 22, 2020

Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan said in a statement that he ordered the officer relieved of duty pending criminal and internal investigations. 

He noted that the division invested millions of dollars for body cameras “for the express purpose of creating a video and audio recording of these kinds of encounters.”

“They provide transparency and accountability, and protect the public, as well as officers, when the facts are in question,” Quinlan said.

Columbus’s mayor said it was unacceptable that the officer’s body camera was not fully turned on.

“This morning we learned of the killing of another Black man at the hands of law enforcement,” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther tweeted on Tuesday. “Our community is still raw and exhausted from the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and, most recently, Casey Goodson, Jr., right here in Columbus.”

“The officer involved did not turn on their body-worn camera — which is unacceptable. The officer involved has been relieved of duty, requiring him to turn in his badge and gun, stripping him of police powers pending the outcome of the criminal and internal investigations,” Ginther continued.

The officer involved did not turn on their body-worn camera — which is unacceptable. The officer involved has been relieved of duty, requiring him to turn in his badge and gun, stripping him of police powers pending the outcome of the criminal and internal investigations.

— Mayor Andrew Ginther (@MayorGinther) December 22, 2020