CPD Names 2 Celebrating Suspects Who Refused To Put Down Firearms
Three people were shot by Columbus police in three separate incidents New Year’s Eve, and CPD released new information on the suspects Friday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Three people were shot by Columbus police in three separate incidents New Year’s Eve, and CPD released new information on the suspects Friday.
No officers were shot or injured.
The suspects in each case were shooting their firearms in the air to celebrate the new year, according to Amanda Ford with CPD.
When police responded to each scene, officers gave shooters multiple verbal commands to stop before they shot the suspects, NBC 4‘s Tacoma Newsome reported.
CPD released additional information on each of the police-involved shootings Friday.
- Officers responded to 1490 Elaine Rd., Apt. C, on a report of shots fired at 11:51 p.m. The suspect involved in the incident was identified as 27-year-old Fredrick L. Ravnell, Jr. Ravnell was charged with one count of discharging a firearm within city limits and three counts of aggravated menacing. Ravnell sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. The officer involved in the shooting was Officer Arkadiusz Augustyniak. Augustyniak has been with the division for eight years.
- Officers responded to 1046 E. 16th Ave. on reports of shots fired at 11:57 p.m. The suspect’s name was not being released pending further investigation. No charges have been filed at this time pending further investigation. The officer involved in the shooting was Officer Brian Steel. Steel has been with the division for three years.
- Officers responded to shots fired in front of 457 Cherry Dr. at 12:10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 1. The suspect involved in the incident was identified as 27-year-old Syreeta N. Harris. Harris was charged with one count of discharging a firearm within city limits. Harris sustained a gunshot wound to the arm. The officer involved in the shooting was Officer James Ashenhurst. Ashenhurst has been with the division for nine years.
The president of the CPD Fraternal Order of Police said police acted properly in the shootings of a number of suspects who were shooting guns at and around midnight to bring in the new year.
FOP President Jim Gilbert said officers warned all three people.
One suspect was shot in the leg, one in the hand and one in the arm.
The mothers of two of the young men who were shot claimed the shootings were unjustified.
Gilbert said CPD went on at least 300 gun runs after the clock struck midnight.
As in all police involved shootings, the involved officer(s) will receive mandated psychological support counseling. Officers also will be afforded an opportunity to take leave time to assist in recovery from a traumatic experience.
These incidents will be investigated by the critical incident response team (made up of specially trained investigators from the homicide squad) and the firearms/police-involved death review board.
Ford asked the media to remind citizens that it is illegal to discharge your firearm in celebration of the new year. At two of the three scenes, individuals and witnesses stated that it was legal to discharge your weapon to ring in the new year.
Stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for the latest information in this developing story.
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Reader Reactions
When it comes to crimes like this as well as other crimes and depending on the severity of it I look at it this way. Shoot to kill no harming, maiming, plain and simple shoot to kill. The reason why is Police all over the USA have to risk their lives day in and day out so why not get rid of a couple here and there that pose threats. Of course there is the possibility of a lawsuit from the families which if I was a judge…simply put DENIED anything. That son/daughter posed a threat to the community to the officers and so they handled the situation accordingly. Also as for parents being afraid to discpline their children, its true parents are afraid because of Child & Family Services but here is an Ohio state law…“A parent can discpline (pop) their child open handed as long as they dont leave a mark” I dont know the ORC on it but it is there. So parents dont be afraid to discpline your child we need to go back to how we all were raised. Didn’t kill us did it? I grew up in the Marine Corps as a brat and I will tell you one thing I grew up in the “School of hard knocks” literally I messed up I got the knuckle to the head even in public, and no one looked at my dad like an abuser he was looked at as a parent discplining his child. I dont do that to my kids I will pop them though but also I dont have to pop them often due to the fact I have instilled the FEAR OF MOM in them. So Ohio start displining then we wont have to worry about things like this.
Has anyone noticed that the quotes from the parents never begin with “my son/daughter knows better than that.“ This same attitude extends beyond the inner city and is prevelant in the suburbs. The problem with that type of crime in the suburbs is that the police departments are too used to minor drug crimes, shoplifting and maybe writing a ticket or two. Felonious crimes are rare and their departments usually call for assistance in this type of crime. I guess it all come back to parenting and policing your own children.
Listening to some of these victims on the television makes me laugh. I must have missed that law where you can only shoot your gun at will on New Years. Have these individuals ever heard of what goes up must come down. Have they thought of the property damage and possible innocent people who could be hit by these stray rounds. I bet they would change their minds if they or their family member got hit. Then they would really be a victim..not just a ignorant one!
Well what do you expect will happen Mom, when the Cops tell your son several times to drop a loaded weapon that he has been discharging in the air jeopardizing the public’s safety and the Officers too? Your son gt’s to shoot, but the cops don’t?
God Bless the folks in blue.
The reason why these “people” haven’t been locked up for a long time is because the legal system has their hands tied.
Criminals have a way of obtaining firearms that they can’t purchase through legal channels and the officers (as well as the court system) know this.
This kind of activity will never stop so long as the (in)justice system stays at status quo.
As long as the individual in question commit no serious offences (armed robbery and the like) they will never do “hard time”.
So it’s pointless to blame the officers when law abiding citizens should be looking at lawmakers and the judicial system which has failed many people.
If you really want to point the “blame” at anyone, blame the parents for their lack of control over their children.
Parents these days are scared of punishing their kids out of fear of being investigated by Children Services for “abuse” or “neglect”. It’s really a shame when an adult looks the other way when it comes to raising their kids right.
Kids these days lack the respect that a vast many of us were brought up with. They are allowed to roam the streets at all hours of the night without any compensation or fear of reprisal because of this.
These “punks” know this. They take advantage of it.
Spare the rod and spoil the child? I don’t think so. An old fashioned butt whipping does wonders. That’s what the term “discipline” means.. To teach.. So how are we as parents supposed to “teach” our kids right from wrong if we feel like we have to face a judge if we scold our kids from doing “bad things”.
People these days have grown to be as I term it “sissified” because they’re scared into thinking that they’re going to have their kids removed from the home for punishing them for doing “bad things”.
I also know one of the suspects. Just so happenes it is Fredrick Ravnell Jr. I am also to the understanding that he is a known drug dealer and has been convicted on numerous felony charges. Now here is another 4 to add to the list of charges. WHEN IS THE CPD GOING TO DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF COLUMBUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I for one know one of the suspects in the officer involved shootings on new years eve. The 27 year old Mr. Ravnell of Elaine rd. is a known drug dealer and has a felonious record. Why hasn’t he been charged with having a firearm under disability and other numerous felony charges for his actions that night? This warrants an investigation bt the I TEAM!
Sounds like there are about 300 people in Columbus that should not own guns and I wonder about the criminal history of those involved and how many guns CPD needs to make an effort to get off the streets because I feel those guns shot off aren’t kept at home for “protection”.
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