Franklin County Grand Jury Votes Not to Indict Columbus Police Officers Involved in Fatal Shooting This Year

Posted on 11/8/2024

Defendant:

A Franklin County grand jury on Thursday declined to return an indictment against the officers involved in the shooting death earlier this year of Colin Jennings, 26, of Columbus.

On Feb. 22, Columbus Division of Police officers responded to a call about an individual, later identified as Jennings, who allegedly was attempting to harm himself and threatening his boyfriend. When the two responding officers arrived at Jennings’ house in the area of 500 North Nelson Road, they were confronted by Jennings, who was armed with a large knife. The officers ordered Jennings to drop the knife, but he advanced toward them with the knife over his head. As one officer attempted to deploy his taser, the other officer fired three rounds from his service weapon, striking Jennings. Police and medics attempted life-saving measures, but Jennings was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting.

A grand jury only decides whether or not a crime has been committed and, in this case, whether any degree of unlawful criminal homicide occurred.