COLUMBUS, Ohio – A man and woman shot by a Columbus police officer through the door of a South Side home Thursday afternoon are expected to be OK but the man is facing a criminal charge.
Officer Anthony Johnson shot Brian Bates and an unidentified woman after Bates slammed the door of the house on Hinman Avenue on the officer’s hand, trapping it, police spokesman Sgt. Rich Weiner said.
Bates and a woman inside the house, who was also shot, were taken to Grant Medical Center where they were treated for injuries Weiner said did not apopear to be life-threatening.
The officer may have suffered a broken hand, Weiner said.
Weiner says the officers were flagged down at approximately 4:00 p.m. by a man who was concerned about his sister using heroin inside a suspected drug house at 394 E. Hinman Avenue.
While one of the officers stopped two people as they left the house, the other officer knocked on the rear door of the residence, Weiner said. The door was opened then slammed on the officer, pinning his hand between the door and the door frame.
After giving numerous commands to open the door, the officer fired multiple shots and finally got his hand free, Weiner said.
Bates was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the neck and woman was treated for a gunshot wound to the arm and released.
Bates is charged with one count of felony assault on a police officer.
Weiner says numerous people were taken out of the house and interviewed by investigators.
As in all police involved shootings, the incident will be investigated by the Critical Incident Response Team and the findings will be forwarded to the Firearms/Police-Involved Death Review Board, Weiner said.