COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man indicted on two charges stemming from the shooting death of 13-year-old Sinzae Reed last year was arrested on Sunday.
Krieg Butler, 37, was taken into custody two days after the Columbus Division of Police filed a warrant for his arrest. He was indicted in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas with improper handling of a firearm and tampering with evidence, according to court records.
The fatal shooting of the 13-year-old boy happened on Wedgewood Drive on Oct. 12, 2022. Police found Reed shot in the street and he died from his injuries less than an hour later after officers arrived.
A report from the Franklin County Coroner's Office found that he was shot twice — once in the chest and once in the right hand.
Columbus police initially charged Butler with murder, but he argued that he acted in self-defense when he shot Reed.
Once the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office learned of the allegation, the murder charge against Butler was dropped until the investigation into the shooting was complete.
Evidence and testimonies were presented to a grand jury last week in the case. The jury determined that Butler would face charges for tampering with evidence with a one-year firearm specification and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle. The jury declined to charge him with murder.
Butler is currently being held at the Franklin County Corrections Center at Jackson Pike.
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