COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three Columbus police officers are on leave during the investigation into a deadly shooting on the Far West Side early Sunday morning.
Officers were called to a Tretorn Drive home yesterday when Jason White (right) walked into a woman’s apartment, armed with a knife, police spokesman Sgt. Richard Weiner said.
Officers shot at White, 31, when he charged one of them with a knife and again as he ran away. He collapsed a short distance away and died after being disarmed, Weiner said.
The incident began at 5:09 a.m. when a woman called police to say an unknown man with no shirt on, wearing a camouflaged fishing hat, had entered her unlocked apartment holding a knife, Weiner said. The woman told dispatchers she was able to lock the man out of the apartment when he stepped out the front door, Weiner said.
Weiner says the woman told the dispatcher the man was talking but not making sense, and continued to try the door knob and knock on the door trying to get back inside her apartment.
An officer arrived and confronted White near 5424 Tretorn Drive. When White allegedly charged at the officer with the knife, the officer fired at him and White ran away, Weiner said.
Weiner says it was unclear whether White had been injured by the first officer.
Officers tracked the man to a nearby apartment complex where he confronted them with a knife again and two officers opened fire, Weiner said. They followed White to the courtyard of 2156 Gables Lake Drive, where he collapsed, shot multiple times but still holding the knife to his throat, Weiner says.
The officers took the knife away disarmed him and took White into custody but he was pronounced the man dead at the scene at 6:09 a.m., Weiner said.
Weiner identified the officers involved as Sgt. John Frenz, a 15-year veteran; Ofc. Dustin McKee, who has been with the police division for three years Ofc. Don Alderman who has been with the division for one year.
Weiner says two knives were recovered at the scene.
No other injuries were reported.
Weiner says White lives in the apartment complex where the original incident was reported.
The incident will be investigated by the Critical Incident Response Team and the Firearms / Police-Involved Death Review Board, Weiner said.