COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Miles Jackson, the man who was killed this week during a shooting at St. Ann’s Hospital in Westerville, Ohio, had a gun during the incident, Ohio’s attorney general said Wednesday.
Warning: The following post contains graphic content
Attorney General Dave Yost issued a statement that read in part:
“BCI’s investigation into the officer-involved shooting that occurred Monday afternoon at St. Ann’s Hospital remains ongoing. We can confirm through preliminary ballistic testing that the decedent [Jackson] had a gun and shots were fired.”
BCI, or the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation, is the lead agency looking into the shooting.
Jackson was shot and killed in the hospital’s emergency room during an altercation Monday.
Body camera video shows shots fired *Warning: graphic content*
According to Westerville and Columbus police, officers responded to a call of a man, later identified as Jackson, passed out in his vehicle. They requested medics, and the man was taken to St. Ann’s emergency room, with the officers accompanying him.
The Westerville officers learned that Jackson had domestic violence warrants out in his name, as well as a weapons under disability warrant in Franklin County, and worked to arrange a transfer of custody to Columbus police.
Body camera video released Wednesday shows Columbus police officers searching Jackson’s pockets and putting property into bags for storage. During that search, officers discovered something hidden in Jackson’s shorts. Officer Ryan Krichbaum told Officer Andrew Howe to help him get Jackson’s hands behind his back.
A struggle ensues, and a Taser is used on Jackson. During the struggle, a gun fired from Jackson’s pocket. Officer Howe fired one shot, but his gun jammed.
After the initial shots were fired, Jackson is down on the ground with officers pointing guns at him. Jackson is ordered to put his hands in the air several dozen times over the course of the next five minutes. Jackson told officers that he was leaning on the gun at one point.
A Taser is eventually used on Jackson again. After the Taser was fired, a gun was fired, followed by a series of gunshots.
Less than a minute after shots were fired, Jackson begins receiving medical attention.
After Jackson is taken from the room, the body camera footage shows a gun left behind, covered in blood.
Westerville officers placed on leave
Westerville and Columbus police have identified their officers who were involved.
Westerville Chief Charles Chandler identified its officers as Eric Everhart and David Lammert and said that both have been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
Chandler said Everhart and Lammert were the officers who had the first encounter with Jackson in a parking lot near the hospital.
“It is not customary to publicly report on personnel matters, but we are committed to transparency and fully understand the attention to this incident,” Chandler said in a statement. “I have viewed the body camera footage from the initial contact with Miles Jackson and have concerns that warrant further review.”
The Westerville investigation will look into how and to what extent the officers followed proper policy and procedure from the time of the first contact to the transfer of custody
The Columbus Division of Police said officers Andrew Howe and Ryan Krichbaum, both 15-year veterans of the Columbus Division of Police, were their officers present.
