COLUMBUS – A Northeast Side woman accused of shooting a Columbus police officer during a search warrant last week is facing federal drug and weapons charges.
According to court documents, Rita Gray, 68, shot and injuerd Columbus police officer Russ Weiner, 53, while Weiner took part in a executing a narcotics-related search warrant at Gray’s residence on Chelford Drive, said David DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
Weiner was released from the hospital Sunday.
GLAD YOU’RE HOME OFFICER WEINER!
Officer Russ Weiner was released from an area hospital this am & transported home by the same @ColsFire Medics who transported him to the hospital Thursday.
5/28/20-Officer Weiner was shot multiple times assisting CPD/federal le in a drug case. pic.twitter.com/K7G7GXraH7
— Columbus Division of Police (@ColumbusPolice) June 1, 2020
Federal agents and officers knocked on the door of the residence and announced their presence. After the knock and announce went unanswered, agents and officers made entry and were met with gunfire from Gray, who was in an interior hallway, according to the court document.
Gray was taken into custody with two semiautomatic Glock pistols nearby, DeVillers said.
She is charged with various drug charges, as well as discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted on all counts, DeVillers says Gray faces at least 20 years up to life in prison.
According to an affidavit in support of the federal criminal complaint, Gray told her son, Eric, who was in jail at the time, that she would open fire on anyone who entered her home.
“If you break any door in I’ma {sic] be standing in that hallway. I don’t care nothing about you hollerin’ police because a robber could be police. I’ll be standing right there in that hallway ready to blast. I’ll stand right around my corner there and blast however many shots I got,” Gray allegedly told her son in May 2019.
The incident was the result of a five-month investigation by state and federal authorities into irregular financial activity that is suspected of being related to money laundering and narcotics trafficking involving Eric Gray, among others, DeVillers said.
That investigation remains ongoing.