COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus police officer who was critically injured in a 2023 shootout has filed a lawsuit against five Whitehall Police Department officers, alleging their failure to follow proper police procedures led to his injuries, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
The lawsuit, filed June 25 in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, claims Whitehall officers allowed armed robbery suspects to flee during a vehicle takedown attempt, ultimately resulting in a violent confrontation that left the Columbus officer hospitalized. The officer and his wife are identified as John and Jane Doe in the civil complaint.
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“Officer Doe’s response would have never been necessary — and his injuries would have never happened — had the Defendants followed proper police tactics and department policy,” the lawsuit states.
The shooting occurred July 6, 2023, after suspects wanted for an armed robbery fled from police in a stolen vehicle and were stopped on a highway. During the shootout, a 19-year-old suspect opened fire on officers, striking the Columbus officer in the lower body. The suspect was killed in the exchange. The injured officer underwent multiple surgeries and remains off duty.
Two other suspects fled on foot and were later arrested. They are serving federal prison sentences.
The lawsuit alleges Whitehall police failed to coordinate with Columbus or Hilliard police, despite tracking the suspects via GPS and recognizing the robbery pattern. It also claims officers did not properly block the suspects’ vehicle during an attempted arrest outside a bank, allowing them to escape and prompting the interstate pursuit.
Body camera footage shows the suspects ramming their way out from between police vehicles. Officers drew weapons and issued commands but did not fire.
Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen declined to comment, citing pending litigation. The Fraternal Order of Police, which represents officers in both departments, criticized Whitehall leadership for a failure to coordinate with other agencies.
A Franklin County grand jury cleared the officers involved in the fatal shooting of wrongdoing.
