COLUMBUS – Police say a Columbus SWAT team officer fatally shot a man who robbed the same Southeast Side convenience store three days in a row.
UPDATE: The officer involved was identified as Ofc. Barry Kirby, a 23-year veteran of the Division of Police assigned to SWAT.
SWAT officers on a robbery stakeout outside the United Dairy Farmers store at 2660 Noe Bixby Road at approximately 12:17 a.m. Thursday saw Kaleb Alexander, 25 (right), walk into the store with a handgun and demanded cash from a clerk at gunpoint, police spokesman Sgt. Rich Weiner said.
Alexander left the store and was shot multiple times by one officer after ignoring commands to drop his weapon, Weiner said.
He was pronounced dead at Grant Medical Center.
A firearm and cash were recovered at the scene.
Weiner says there were no other injuries.
Detectives are investigating additional robberies at the store and Weiner says they believe Alexander is responsible for robberies at the same store the previous two nights.
The incident will be investigated by the police division’s Critical Incident Response Team, made up of specially trained investigators from the Homicide Unit, said Weiner. The results will be turned over to the Firearms/Police-Involved Death Review Board.