© 2024 WOSU Public Media
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Autopsy shows Columbus police shot man having apparent mental health crisis three times

Creekside Place apartments
Google Maps
Creekside Place apartments on North Nelson Road in Columbus, Ohio.

A coroner’s report released Thursday said Columbus police shot Colin Jennings three times, twice in the chest and once in the neck, while he suffered an apparent mental health crisis.

A Feb. 22 911 call from Jennings' boyfriend brought police to Creekside Place Apartments on North Nelson Road. Body camera footage showed Jennings outside the complex, walking toward two officers with a knife saying, “shoot me” and “I want to die.”

An officer holding a gun told the second officer to tase Jennings.

The two officers appeared to discharge their weapons at the same time as Jennings circled around a car the officers had been using as cover.

Jennings died later at a hospital.

Jennings did not have alcohol or mind-altering drugs in his system when he died, according to a toxicology report.

The names of the officers involved in the shooting have not been released.

Allie Vugrincic has been a radio reporter at WOSU 89.7 NPR News since March 2023.