Grand Jury Decision on February 20, 2020 Shooting

Posted on 3/21/2022

Defendant: Joseph Jewell

Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack provided the following statement regarding the shooting death of Joseph Jewell where on duty Columbus Police Officers Howard Brenner, Glenn Thivener and Mark Dilello discharged their service firearms. On February 20, 2020, Columbus SWAT officers received information that a murder suspect, Joseph Jewell, was inside a hotel room at 888 E. Dublin-Granville Road. The officers knocked on the hotel room door and identified themselves. Jewell opened the door and immediately fired at the officers and the officers returned fire. Jewell was transported by medics to Riverside Methodist Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A loaded firearm was found at the scene and it was determined that Jewell fired one round at officers. No officers were injured.

Since 1980 the Prosecutor’s Office has presented to the Grand Jury cases involving the death of citizens caused by on duty law enforcement officers. The purpose of that policy has been to assure that where a police officer causes the death of a citizen during the performance of their duties that there is a review of those circumstances by an independent body of citizens. Through that independent review the public is assured that it is not just police officers investigating police officers who make a judgment on charges; or prosecutors who work regularly with the police officers making the final decision. Grand Jurors are selected and serve in the same manner as petit jurors that hear and decide cases every day in Ohio and Franklin County courts.

Testimony or evidence before a grand jury is secret by law as well as the discussions, deliberations, or vote of grand jurors in a particular case. However, the law does permit a prosecutor to state that a particular incident has been investigated by the grand jury, and whether as a result thereof that an indictment has or has not been filed.

On March 18, 2022, the Franklin County Grand Jury reviewed the February 20, 2020 shooting death of Joseph Jewell where on duty Columbus Police Officers Howard Brenner, Glenn Thivener, and Mark Dilello discharged their service firearms. After consideration of the evidence, the Grand Jury declined to return an Indictment against any of the involved officers.

A grand jury only inquires into whether or not a crime has been committed and in this incident whether any degree of unlawful criminal homicide occurred.

Issues of civil liability or police directives on use of deadly force are addressed by other officials and in other venues under different legal procedures and burdens of proof.