COLUMBUS – A department review board has ruled that a Columbus police officer acted within the police division’s firearms policy when he fatally shot an armed suspect on the South Side in February.
Officer Alex Mottinger’s actions in the shooting death of Jimmie Patton on Feb. 23 were upheld by the Firearms/Police-Involved Death Review Board, spokesman Sgt. Dean Worthington said.
Officers responded to the area of Southwood and Parsons avenues on a report that a man was sitting in an SUV and had just pointed a gun at the caller, who also claimed that the suspect was drunk and had an assault rifle in the front seat of the vehicle,.
When officers approached the Ford Expedition in the rear of 1532 Parsons Avenue, they saw Patton get out of the driver’s side of the vehicle and point a gun at one of the officers, Worthington said.
Mottinger fired multiple shots which struck Patton who died at Grant Medical Center.
A rifle and handgun were recovered at the scene.
No other injuries were reported.