Columbus Police say a black man suspected of robbing a woman has died after a struggle with a group of bystanders who witnessed the robbery and chased him down.
Investigators say the bystanders pursued the man on Sunday after seeing him rob a woman at the Speedway Gas Station on North Cassidy Ave.
"Once they were able to apprehend him, the victim of the homicide was extremely violent, he would not give up, and he assaulted, in fact, a couple of the persons who were simply trying to hold him and apprehend him as a result of the robbery, and hold him for the police," said Sgt. Dave Sicilian.
In a new release, Columbus Police described the men who confronted the suspect as "good Samaritans."
"The 'good Samartians' apparently attempted to apprehend the suspect, who resisted and thus there was a physical altercation between the victim and these 'good Samaritans,'" police said in the release.
Police and medics arrived later to find the suspect in "critical condition" in the parking lot of the nearby Four Points Hotel. The suspect was taken to Ohio State's East Hospital emergency room, where he died. Authorities did not specify the nature of his injuries.
Police have not released the names of either the man who died or the men who confronted him. They did not specify the race of the bystanders.
It is unclear if criminal charges will be filed.
According to the news release, this was the 41st homicide in Columbus in 2018.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
