Columbus police officers who opened fire in Short North shooting won't face charges

The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed Monday that it won't seek criminal charges against three officers who opened fire during a 2023 shooting in the Short North that injured 10 people.

Three people died across three unrelated shootings in Columbus on the morning of May 6, 2023, and eleven guns were recovered. The chaotic, bloody morning rattled residents and inspired Mayor Andrew Ginther to call on businesses to close at midnight to prevent more late-night violence.

At about 2:30 that Saturday morning on the 600 block of North High Street, gunshots were reported . Columbus police officers arrived and heard more gunshots nearby, and multiple officers fired back.

Body camera footage showed Columbus police officer Carl Harmon and officer Jacob Velas firing as they moved toward a gunman in front of Roaming Goat Coffee at 849 N. High St. The video shows one of the officers kicking a handgun away from the man, who was bleeding heavily. The 20-year-old man was handcuffed and transported to Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

A third officer, Ian Mansperger, also fired his weapon during the shooting. Mansperger was working special duty in the Short North and was not wearing a body camera, consistent with Columbus Division of Police policy.

About an hour later that morning, officers responded to a separate incident at a house in the 1400 block of St. Clair Avenue and found five people suffering from gunshot wounds.

One person, Taylin Roland, 28, died at the scene, and the suspect, Keith Pleasant, 29, was taken to a hospital in critical condition with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died.

In the third shooting, at 4:40 a.m., police responded to the 500 block of East Whittier Street to find David A. Davis, 36, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after 5 a.m.

Isaac A. Clark, 34, was charged with murder in Davis’ death, but charges were later dropped. Police said Clark shot Davis and ran away after a verbal altercation.

bagallion@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police officers who opened fire in Short North shooting won't face charges