Columbus police walk back assertion man died by suicide in gunfire exchange with officers

Columbus police walked back an assertion that a man who died in an exchange of gunfire with officers died by shooting himself, according to a retraction issued by the agency Thursday morning.

The man, identified by the Franklin County Coroner’s Office as Rafael Warfield, 21, died early Thursday after exchanging gunfire with Columbus police from what the department initially described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

However, the head of the largest police union representing police in Franklin County said later Thursday that it was unclear whether shots fired by officers or the self-inflicted gunshot killed Warfield.

The police department issued its initial statement at about 7:30 a.m. and sent out its retraction at 11 a.m.

"The previously distributed media release regarding the suspect who was stated to have incurred a 'self-inflected gunshot wound' was sent in haste and in error," the statement says.

An initial statement from Columbus police said that officers received a call shortly after 4 a.m. to respond to the 6800 block of Georges Creek Drive for a report of a man threatening to harm himself and the people around him.

Officers arrived and confronted Warfield, who was threatening to shoot himself. Police said the man opened fire on the officers.

Warfield was pronounced dead at 4:32 a.m., according to the news release. Police have not said whether any police officers suffered injuries in the exchange.

Gender Road remained closed at George’s Creek Drive until about 11 a.m. Motorists struggled to navigate around the roadblock to work while the Ohio Bureau of Investigation and the Franklin County Coroner secured the scene.

Franklin County Fraternal Order of Police President Brian Steel said he visited the scene Thursday morning. He said Columbus police told him a man was intoxicated and threatening to harm others and fired at least one round at officers.

Steele said one Columbus police officer opened fire. Warfield was hit multiple times.

The shooting follows two police shootings over the weekend. On Saturday, a man was fatally shot following a shootout with police after he shot and killed a 45-year-old woman. On Sunday, officers shot and killed a man after he opened fire at an Amazon warehouse facility and shot at officers who stopped his car, according to police and video.

All three shootings will be investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation in accordance with department policy. After the investigations are completed, they will be reviewed by the Franklin County Prosecutor's office and presented to a grand jury, which is that office's policy for all fatal shootings involving police.

bagallion@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police walk back assertion man died by suicide in gunfire exchange with officers