(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has released the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s (BCI) investigative file for a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital on April 12, 2021.
BCI was requested by the Westerville Division of Police to conduct an independent, third party investigation of the shooting.
In August 2021, the Attorney General’s Office announced that BCI had submitted the case to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, which presented it to a grand jury.
BCI’s investigation found that Westerville police officers were dispatched to a bank parking lot, where they found a man later identified as Miles Jackson suffering the effects of a possible overdose. Jackson was transported to St. Ann’s, where officers ultimately learned that the Columbus Division of Police had felony warrants pending for his arrest. As officers were taking Jackson into custody, a struggle occurred. Columbus police officers and armed security personnel from St. Ann’s discharged their weapons. Jackson died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained during the incident.
As part of its effort to document all pertinent facts of the incident, BCI did the following:
- Processed the crime scene for potential evidence, including photographing, searching, measuring, documenting and collecting evidence.
- Interviewed 28 law enforcement officers and 17 civilian witnesses.
- Analyzed multiple pieces of evidence in the laboratory, including firearms, bullet casings and projectiles.
- Reviewed available camera footage of the incident from body cameras and video surveillance footage.
- Evaluated training and personnel records of the involved officers.
As a fact-finding agency, BCI does not determine whether use of force was justified or if the degree of force used was appropriate. Nor does it make recommendations regarding charges. Those decisions rest with the prosecuting attorney and/or grand jury.
BCI’s case files have been posted to the attorney general’s website. The site archives case files from officer-involved critical incidents only after either a prosecutor or grand jury has decided to not to indict, or if an officer is indicted and has been prosecuted in court.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Steve Irwn: 614-728-5417
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