COLUMBUS – Columbus police are continuing to investigate the death of an armed man in an officer-involved shooting Wednesday morning in Franklinton.
Police received a call around 10 a.m. from a family member of a distraught man, who was armed, threatening suicide.
Officers were dispatched to the man's home in the 300 block fo S. Yale Avenue. Within minutes of their arrival, officers located the male in the home with a gun.
Police say a confrontation ensued and during the encounter, the man produced a gun. Multiple shots were fired.
The man, identified as 52-year-old Billy G. Heeter was transported to Grant Medical Center in critical condition. He was pronounced deceased at 10:57 a.m.
Billy's brother, Tim Heeter, says he called the police to tell them his brother was suicidal and needed help.
“I had told them specifically when I had them on the phone, that they need to send somebody to talk to him, if you can talk to him, you can probably talk him down and get him to put the gun up,” he said.
A gun was recovered from the scene. No officers were injured.
Columbus police identified the officer as Kenneth Bowers, a 21-year veteran of the division.