A Jury Sides With Columbus Police in an Excessive Force Trial in Ohio
A federal jury has rejected allegations that police in Ohio’s capital city used excessive force when they fatally shot a man in 2016 during an undercover operation, an episode that led to heightened criticism of actions by Columbus police.
The city has said that 23-year-old Henry Green, who was Black, ignored commands to drop his gun by officers Zachary Rosen and Jason Bare, who are white. Court documents and depositions say Green shot at the undercover officers, who then returned fire. Green’s family has argued Green fired after police shot at him.
Columbus, the state’s largest city, has experienced multiple protests in recent years over the killing of Black men and children, including last year’s fatal shooting of 16-year-old Ma’Kiah Bryant. A grand jury declined to indict the white officer who shot Bryant as she swung a knife at a young woman. The officer said he feared for the woman’s life.
