COLUMBUS – Police are hoping that security camera video from Arena District businesses will help them identify the motorcyclists who attacked a motorist Saturday, striking him and firing several gunshots at him.
Mark Messer told police he was near a group of motorcycles on S. High Street as he waited to turn left onto E. Nationwide Boulevard at approximately 7:00 p.m. when one of the motorcyclists dismounted, walked up to the driver’s side of the vehicle and punched Messer in the face through his vehicle’s open window, according to Det. Deryl Kowalski of the Assault Unit.
Messer, 25, told investigators he turned left onto E. Nationwide Boulevard after he was punched and the motorcyclists continued to follow him as he pulled off into the parking lot behind the Flat Iron Café, 129 E. Nationwide Boulevard, where one of motorcyclists smashed the passenger side window of his vehicle with a collapsible baton.
Messer told police he tried to get away from the motorcyclists by running west on E. Nationwide Boulevard and that is when one of the motorcyclists pulled a handgun from a backpack and fired approximately four or five shots before driving away on his motorcycle at a high rate of speed, Kowalski said.
Officers found Messer in front of the restaurant at 7:24 p.m.
Kowalski says none of the shots fired struck Messer or his vehicle.
Detectives are asking that any businesses along E. Nationwide Boulevard between N. High Street and N. 4th Street review their surveillance video to see if any portion of the incident was captured on video.
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Columbus Police Assault Unit at 614-645-4189 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS(8477).