SURJ Columbus is helping host a rally and vigil Thursday night for a woman fatally shot by a Columbus Police officer last week.
Police say Donna Dalton was shot in the back of an unmarked police car in Franklinton on August 23. According to authorities, Dalton was being taken into custody by undercover officer Andrew Mitchell on prostitution charges. At some point, "an altercation occured" and Dalton reportedly stabbed Mitchell in the hand.
"The officer fired his gun multiple times inside the vehicle," states a press release from Columbus Police. "His wound was so severe that another officer administered their tourniquet to stop the bleeding."
Dalton was transported to Grant Hospital, where she was declared dead. Mitchell was also brought to the hospital, where he underwent surgery and is now in stable condition.
"A knife was recovered at the scene," police say.
Rally organizer Tynan Krakoff still thinks Dalton's death is unjust.
“We also know the officer was in plainclothes,” Krakoff says. “So it’s unclear at what point if any she even knew it was a police officer. So we also call for an end to plainclothes police.”
Thursday's rally starts at 6 p.m. outside the Columbus Collegiate Academy. More than 100 friends and family members held a similar rally for Dalton last weekend.
“We’ve got to dismantle the institutions that lead to things like this,” Krakoff says. “First and foremost we’re calling for a full investigation of Officer Mitchell and an independent investigation for all police shootings.”
Mitchell is a 30-year veteran of the Columbus Division of Police.
