17-year-old murder suspect killed in police shootout

COLUMBUS – A 17-year-old murder suspect was killed in a gunfight with Columbus police officers at a Northeast Side hotel Thursday night.

UPDATE 2/24/20 9:03 a.m.: The officers involved in this incident were identified as Ofc. Howard Brenner, a 32-year veteran; Ofc. Mark Dilello, a 23-year veteran, and Ofc. Glenn Thivener, a 31-year veteran. All three are assigned to the SWAT unit.

Joseph Jewell was killed when he opened fire on police who came to arrest him at the Magnuson Grand Columbus Hotel North on Dublin-Granville Road at approximately 5:00 p.m., Division of Police spokesman Sgt. James Fuqua said.

Jewell was one of two teenage murder suspect police were looking for. Sixteen-year-old German Sanchez, Jr., remains at large, wanted in a double shooting on the West Side Tuesday night.

Jewell was s suspect in the shooting death of Enriqua Forney, Jr., at an apartment complex on the Northeast Side late Tuesday night.

Fuqua says officers received a tip shortly after 4:00 p.m. that a murder suspect was inside a room at the hotel near Dublin-Granville Road and I-71.

When they arrived at the location, SWAT officers knocked and announced themselves and Jewell opened the door and immediately began to fire his handgun at the officers, Fuqua said.

The officers returned fired and Jewell was hit.

Fuqua says officers administered first-aid but Jewell died shortly after 6:00 p.m. at Riverside Methodist Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries at 6:02 p.m.

No officers sustained injuries, Fuqua said.