Two Columbus Police Department officers suspended in the wake of the police-involved shooting death of Ricky Ball returned to service Thursday after the Columbus City Council unanimously voted to end their suspension.
On Oct. 30, the council voted to suspend officers Johnny Branch and Yolanda Young for 30 days without pay for violating CPD’s body camera policy. Both officers were members of the now-disbanded special operations CPD group. They, along with former CPD officer Canyon Boykin, were present at the Oct. 16 officer-involved shooting of Ball. None of the officers involved activated their body cameras until after the shooting.
The council fired Boykin on Oct. 30.
Authorities have not said which officer shot Ball.
State authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ball’s shooting death.
Councilmen took up the status of Branch and Young’s employments in executive session Wednesday morning during a special called meeting. Mayor Robert Smith said CPD Interim Chief Fred Shelton recommended that the officers’ punishment for additional violations discovered during special operations group review committee meetings run concurrent with the previous punishment.
“During the investigation of the SOG committee, we saw some other occasions where they didn’t have their body cameras on,” Shelton said. “Instead of going and punishing them additionally, we decided to put it all together and make it one incident, because that would be fair and we wouldn’t have to try them for every offense.”
Shelton said the punishment marks the second strike for Branch and Boykin under the department’s body camera policy. A third violation results in termination under the newly-revised policy, which the council approved at its Dec. 15 meeting.
Both officers will remain on probation for six months.
Shelton said Young would return to service Wednesday afternoon and CPD will ease Branch, who was on crutches at Wednesday’s meeting, back into work with light duty.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
