Columbus tops Ohio’s use of force investigation requests

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A new report from the Ohio Attorney General's office shows Franklin County called the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for more use of force investigations than any county in the state.

Data shows BCI led 58 investigations into officer-involved critical incidents in 2023. This is one less than in 2022, 11 less than 2021.

The report shows 13 requests for BCI from Franklin County.

According to the Attorney General’s report, the Columbus Division of Police had the most requests of any agency with 11. The next highest was three by the Canton Police Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol.

It is important to note that many of these cases have been deemed “no bill” by the grand jury or cleared by the prosecutor. Some are still in active investigation.

Brian Steel, the executive vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City lodge 9, said the officers involved in those incidents being investigated are making split-second decisions.

“They should be held accountable,” Steel said. “If you get it right, which we do the majority of times, great; it shows the professionalism. If we get it wrong, we must be held accountable, and BCI helps that process, being an independent investigation."

Many of the high-profile BCI investigations still under investigation took place in our viewing area.

• On Aug. 24, the shooting death of Ta’Kiya Young by Blendon Township Police.

• On July 6, a crime spree turned high-speed chase on I-70 ended in a deadly shootout. A Columbus Police officer was injured and one of the three suspects involved was shot and killed. 

• On July 8, Columbus Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputies were involved in an incident that started on East Livingston Avenue. According to reports, a deputy was shot at by the suspect, Antwan Lindsey. After a brief standoff, Lindsey was shot and killed by a Columbus Police officer.

Steel said these are situations officers never want to be in, always training to avoid allowing a situation to get to that point.

“We have to continue to do a good job with recruitment,” he said. “We bring people in not for the money, not for the dental plan. We're bringing people in who have the highest caliber, which is why we don't lower standards. You start lowering standards, you'll start to see more uses of force.”

Of those 58 investigations this year, the report said 24 are ongoing.

The attorney general said the goal of calling BCI is to provide a transparent and non-biased investigation for cases.