COLUMBUS, Ohio – Columbus police are heading up the investigation in a fatal shooting by a Westerville police officer during a traffic stop on Polaris Parkway overnight.
The officer shot a Columbus man after he got out of his vehicle with a weapon, Westerville police chief Joe Morbitzer said during an early-morning news conference.
Westerville police say the shooting happened in the jurisdiction of the Columbus police, which is investigating the incident while Westerville police conduct their own internal review.
Morbitzer says the officer pulled the man, identified later as John Montgomery, 59 over for a license-plate light violation at 1:16 a.m. and opened fire when Montgomery exited his vehicle with a weapon. Montgomery was taken to St. Ann’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after 2:00, Mortbitzer says.
A female passenger was unhurt, Mortbitzer said.
Polaris Parkway was closed in both directions for several hours before reopening just before 7:00 a.m.