COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A 36-year-old man was in critical but stable condition Thursday afternoon after being shot late Wednesday by a Columbus police officer.
Columbus police said the shooting happened about 11:10 p.m. in the 1600 block of Sullivant Avenue, in the South Hilltop neighborhood, where officers were responding to reports of a person experiencing a mental health crisis.
Officers reportedly learned that the man — identified Thursday as Michael Frierson — had assaulted two people. Frierson would not come outside of the home after repeated attempts by police, prompting officers to kick in the door.
Police said Frierson came out from around a corner and began striking an officer in the face with an unknown object. The officer pulled away and shot Frierson several times.
Police placed Frierson in custody and began giving him medical attention until medics arrived. The officer, a four-year veteran of the force, was not injured. Police are not releasing the officer’s name, citing victims’ rights legislation known as Marsy’s Law.
Frierson is expected to be charged with domestic violence and assault against a peace officer, police said. They also said he had felony warrants out for his arrest. Investigators recovered what were described as three “edged weapons:” scissors, a knife and a fork.
Sgt. Joe Albert of Columbus police said the officers’ approach to the incident changed once they learned others were potentially harmed inside the residence.
“It was labeled in our run as a mental health call, but the immediate details of the run, the caller said this individual has already assaulted two people. Once that happens, the alternative response kind of goes away because we now have a domestic violence situation.”
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigation the incident, as is typical for a shooting involving a Columbus police officer. It was the second shooting Wednesday night that sent a person to the hospital in critical condition. The first happened on the North Side just before 8:30 p.m.
