COLUMBUS, Ohio — A U.S. Marshals deputy was shot and a suspect is dead after an exchange of gunfire in southeast Columbus last week while task force members were serving an arrest warrant.
The incident happened shortly after 9 a.m. on Dec. 8 at a home in the 2700 block of Fourseasons Drive, according to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service said members of the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Task Force (SOFAST) were serving a felony arrest warrant for an aggravated robbery suspect wanted by Columbus police.
As the task force members were taking the fugitive into custody, 18-year-old Donta Stewart allegedly began firing at the officers from a nearby closet, striking a US Marshals deputy in the upper torso. In response, the US Marshals Service said officers returned fire, striking Stewart. The Marshals deputy was taken to Grant Medical Center in stable condition. He is undergoing treatment and is expected to survive, according to Chief Deputy Rick Minerd with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. Stewart was critically injured and taken to Mount Carmel East, where he later died.
Minerd said Stewart was not the subject of the arrest warrant.
“A number of individuals were present at the scene and were taken into custody for questioning. There is no reason to believe those people were involved, though that could change based on the interview process,” Minerd said.
The incident remains under investigation at this time. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau is leading the investigation with the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.