Man paralyzed in Short North shooting sues Columbus police for ‘reckless’ gunfire

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – A family is suing Columbus police for what their attorney described as officers’ reckless disregard for public safety when they opened fire during a shooting in the Short North that left a man paralyzed.

Jalen and Ja-Dawn Bradley were in the Short North on May 6, 2023, when a group of men shot both of them, according to the pair’s lawsuit, filed Monday. But the brother and sister claim that after they were shot, police shot Jalen in the back and neck nearly a dozen times while the two were looking for cover, resulting in his paralysis.

As Columbus police describe it, officers responded to an “explosion of gunfire” near 847 North High Street about 2:30 a.m. Police said at the time that officers returned fire, striking at least one person, after being shot at while trying to break up a fight on the sidewalk. The Bradleys, however, describe the incident differently.

Jalen, 20 years old at the time, was legally armed and returned fire on the men who shot him and his sister, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims that it was only after the gunfire stopped that Columbus police began shooting at the Bradleys.

As the brother and sister looked for safety, the lawsuit asserts that Columbus police shot at them at least 20 times. Jalen was hit 11 times in the back and neck, and Ja-Dawn was hit in the leg and chest, according to the complaint.

“My client was barely walking, and he’s looking to get cover, and the police reloaded and blasted him some more,” Jeff Moore, the attorney representing the Bradleys, said in an interview. “He needs to be taken care of the rest of his life, and God knows whether he will be or not.”

Officers then handcuffed Jalen, who had fallen. According to the lawsuit, officers rolled him multiple times, exacerbating his injuries.

Jalen is now paralyzed, and he and Ja-Dawn are traumatized, Moore said. Moore said Jalen is still undergoing medical treatment for his injuries, noting that as recently as this past week, he had surgery to remove bullet shrapnel.

Columbus police have never said how many officers opened fire, although the lawsuit names several. On Monday – the same day the Bradleys filed their lawsuit – the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office announced that no officers would be charged related to the shooting.

The Bradleys are each asking for upward of $14 million in damages. Their lawsuit asserts that not only did the officers behave recklessly when shooting, the police department itself “encourages officers to aggressively pursue, confront, seize and arrest citizens without cause or probable cause.”

“It just was a reckless situation,” Moore said. “I know that they’re trying to keep the peace, but my God, you don’t just go out blasting in an area.”

Columbus Police declined to comment.

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