COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A man involved in an hours-long standoff with deputies, police and SWAT officers on Sunday is now dead.
The cause of death is unclear, but his death was confirmed at around 1:15 p.m., approximately five hours after the standoff began on Ohio State University’s south campus.
The man – who was reportedly in his 20s but was not identified – reportedly fired shots at officers around 8 a.m. in the area of 1500 Worthington Street.
Investigators said it all started when someone called 911 and reported a burglary was in progress in the area. Arriving officers were shot at, although none of them were hit. They returned fire, but it’s not clear if the suspect was hit.
The man then went to a nearby home on West 8th Avenue and remained there until a Columbus police spokesman confirmed his death. It is unclear what connection he had to that home, police said.
The house was surrounded by several SWAT vehicles in front and behind. A police negotiator had given instructions, but the man did not follow them.
ABC 6 confirmed around 12 p.m. that Columbus police had attempted to obtain a warrant to enter the home.
CPD officers also contacted the suspect’s family.
A neighbor told ABC 6’s Jeremiah Wilcox that he was walking his dog when the chaos began.
“For one thing, there were cops everywhere with guns drawn, they were clearly after somebody,” Richard Schaefer said. “As I was leaving, he was shooting at the cops… I heard about six or seven shots, maybe more. I just picked the dog up and got to the ground. (The suspect) eventually crossed the street, hid behind a car and was about ten feet away from me.”
Schaefer added that it is normally a quiet area.
“I just told my mom yesterday that this is a really safe area,” he said. “Things like this don’t happen here.”
“It was kind of scary because I’m obviously the only person on the street. He’s right there. I said, ‘Act like nothing’s happening,’ because I don’t want to give the impression that I’m going to tell anyone anything because he has a gun.”
This story will be updated as new details are confirmed.
