An incident Tuesday on the north side of Columbus that included gunshots, a man stripping out of his clothes, a large crowd and a three-hour-plus standoff ended with two men in custody.
The incident began around 2 p.m. Tuesday during a traffic stop, according to Tony McCoy, an assistant chief with the Columbus Police Department. The traffic stop occurred near 17th Street North and 8th Avenue North, according to law enforcement. CPD Capt. Brent Swan said the officer conducting the stop heard gunshots.
The officer then saw a man he identified as the shooter, Swan said. A chase ensued and police believe the suspect stripped out of his clothes before running into an Ash Street home, Swan said.
McCoy said police believed the home’s resident was inside the house at the time.
Within minutes, dozens of law enforcement personnel surrounded the residence, which is at 1100 Ash St. The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department set up a command center near the intersection of 17th Avenue North and Railroad Street.
More than 100 bystanders gathered as the standoff stretched into three hours. The suspect’s father was on scene and attempted to talk to his son through the intercom but the suspect did not emerge from the home.
At approximately 5:30 p.m., the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department Special Response Team breached the home, deploying tear gas as they entered.
Two men were taken into custody. The investigation is ongoing.
CPD is declining to release the name of the suspect but witnesses on scene, including several people that claimed to be his relative, identified the suspect as “D.J.”
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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