COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 21-year-old man has been charged after police say he exchanged gunfire with officers on Interstate 71 north of Polaris Friday.
Around 10 a.m., Columbus police said officers responded to several reports of a man firing shots at cars traveling on I-71 north of Gemini Place. Troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol also responded to the scene.
According to OSHP, troopers were called to the area after a gray Ford Fusion went off the left side of the roadway and struck a cable barrier before a man began firing a weapon.
Court records from the Delaware County Common Pleas Court identified the man as Jonathon Myers.
Arriving officers found Myers who was armed and firing shots along the interstate. At some point, police said officers exchanged an unknown number of shots with Myers.
Myers was struck by police and taken into custody, according to OSHP. He was transported to Grant Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said all officers involved were OK, though one officer was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
The Fraternal Order of Police President Gary Wolske said the officer has been treated and released. Wolske added the officer was not injured with gunshot wounds.
Police added one woman was with the suspect at the time of the shooting and she was not injured. OSHP says a second occupant of the vehicle was taken into custody.
Myers is charged with attempted aggravated murder, according to Delaware County Prosecutor Melissa Schiffel.
I-71 northbound near Bale Kenyon Road, as well as one southbound lane of I-71 near Gemini Place, is back open after being closed for several hours.
According to OSHP, a vehicle matching the same description as the suspect’s vehicle was also involved in a hit-skip crash at 9:37 a.m. on I-70 westbound in Franklin County. There were no injuries and the crash remains under investigation.
Madison Local School District Superintendent Rob Peterson said a school van transporting students and coaches to a state wrestling championship game in Columbus was shot.
No injuries were reported.
You can read the full statement below:
"This morning while en route to Columbus to participate in the State Wrestling Championships, a Madison Local School District van transporting student-athletes and coaches passed the scene of a shooter-involved incident. As the van passed by, a single shot was fired at the van, glancing off of the vehicle. None of the four passengers inside the vehicle were injured, and after reporting the incident to the Columbus City Police Department, the coaches and athletes proceeded to arrive safely at the Schottenstein Center and began preparing to compete. I want to applaud our coaches for their handling of this incident, and we are very thankful for the safe arrival of our coaches and student-athletes."
In an update Saturday, the Columbus Division of Police released the names of the officers involved in the shooting:
- Officer Nathan Komisarek, a 19-year veteran
- Officer Joseph Valiski, a 16-year veteran
- Officer Aaron Getzinger, a 10-year veteran
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handling the investigation into the shooting.