Police: Man Shot, Killed Along I-70 Was L.A. Rape Suspect
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Man Shot Was Rape Suspect
Police say the man who was shot after a pursuit and crash was a suspected serial rapist from Los Angeles.
Chopper 4
UPDATED: Police release the name of the serial rape suspect who was shot after a pursuit and crash.
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Information is coming to light about the man who was shot and killed by police after a pursuit and crash Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities said the incident began with a police pursuit at Beechwood and Main that continued onto Interstate 70 on the city’s east side.
During the pursuit, Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief Doug Smith said, the suspect crossed the median and collided head-on with a tanker truck.
Smith said when officers approached the suspect, he was still moving and appeared to be reaching for a weapon and was shot by police. Officials said the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect has been identified by Columbus police as Abram Bynum. Bynum is the suspected High Desert Rapist, who is believed to be responsible for a series of rapes in Los Angeles County from 2004 to 2007.
L.A. County authorities enlisted the help of CPD in obtaining a DNA sample from Bynum. Police said the DNA was sent to L.A., where tests allegedly matched Bynum’s DNA to five area rapes. Additional evidence, CPD said, allegedly linked the suspect to three other rapes.
Columbus police said that when the DNA was confirmed, Bynum was suspected in eight rapes consisting of 19 charges in L.A.—the most serious of which were rape and kidnapping.
According to an L.A. detective, authorities had planned to come to Columbus and take Bynum back to L.A.
Columbus police said that they are investigating whether the suspect committed rapes in Columbus.
The L.A. detective said Bynum was suspected in sexual assaults in Columbus, but wouldn’t elaborate.
Officials said Bynum has family living in Central Ohio. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.
The semi driver involved in the crash was taken to Grant Medical Center in stable condition.
No officer injuries were reported in the incident.
As a result of the crash, I-70 east was closed at Brice Road and I-70 west was closed at state Route 256 during the investigation and cleanup. All lanes of traffic were reopened at about 1 a.m.
The semi was empty at the time of the crash, but diesel fuel was leaking onto the roadway. Hazardous materials crews were also called to the scene.
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Reader Reactions
I originally questioned the high-speed chase until I read the article in the LA Times which gave more information than what is posted here. I am including the link again for new readers as it is posted really far back in this discussion.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rape-shoot8-2009jul08,0,4626672.story
However, as far as people bashing other people on here, since when is it a bad thing to question a situation? People have different perspectives and it is by listening to others and getting more information, that we can better make our own decisions. Also, I think questions should be raised about the high-speed chase that put so many lives in danger, especially based on the facts in this article on this site. The LA Times article answers my own questions, but again, I would hope that by asking about the circumstances surrounding the chase, that this web site would provide more information as it was available.
My outstanding question is that the police are stating that the suspect was moving after the crash and apparently reaching for a gun, but then say that it is too early to tell if he died from the gun shots or from the crash. If he died from the crash, then he wouldn’t be reaching for a gun. The two statements are contradictory. He may have been critically injured and would have died anyway because of his injuries, but I would say that the gun shots finished him off – and so be it. I just want some clarification.
Maumi
If you don’t know a family member is a suspected serial rapist then you don’t know them well enough to have them stay with you.
I would know if a piece of trash like this was in my family.
I hope you aren’t refering to me because i never once bashed the police. I encourage communication between officers and civilians yet some on both sides of the table still don’t get it). All I can say is that I am totally against high speed chases, always will be and that is that.
Running from the Police in LA seems to be just another part of tensile town. Some poor fool is going to get their 15 minutes one way or another. Here in Columbus we are not shooting movies…this is real. Furthermore, the lives put in danger from this idiot, who must have forgotten where he was, were also real. I am proud of the CPD! As an upstanding member of society I am glad I don’t have to pay to feed and house such a disgusting person.
I never said that cops are the only people that have it tough out there. This has nothing to do with being more understanding. I am basing my opinions on the facts. Cops followed protocal and chased a dangerous wanted person and got them off the streets. If the cops had not chased him he could have gotten away free to harm other people. Facts! No one, including the police want things to end with a high speed chase, but if they don’t pursue the criminals then criminals will know that all they have to do is run and they get away free.
Wow, it is amazing how clueless some people are. I now understand how we ended up with the mayor we have, these people voted for him. Well dont worry haters because your faithfull mayor is going to end up laying off the police force, then what will you complain about? Maybe you need to read the stories before you post. The idiot was fleeing, and had already prepared to flee before they tried to apprehend him. Plain and simply put the ones making the stupid comments on here do not have the guts to be a Police Officer, and more than likely have been arrested so they resort to bashing. Say whatever you want, the idiot is no longer going to harm innocent women and girls.
and it is not just cops that are darned if they do and darned if they don’t. We need to broaden our thoughts to everyone. Maybe if everyone would be more undertanding to more than just thier situation the world of growing criminals could possibly decline. Cops aren’t the only people that heve it tough out here.
I admit he was a wuss but had i been hit head on (came within inches alomost a year ago due to a high speed persuit) due to a chase and lost the life of my child or something than I would hate the mongrel and never forgive the police….I will never agree to high speed chases.
I’ll eat that cake any day of the week if it means another scum bag is not around anymore! Way to go CPD (Columbus Police Department)!!! Keep up the good work!
Landru wrote, “That six cops pumped an unarmed man full of lead as he twitched in his death throes after a horrendous crash is only icing on the cake of shame.“
When they got he DNA he was only a person of interest, they weren’t positive he did it until the DNA results came back. They had an address but I read in another article that said that he had sold some of his stuff to a pawn shop and rented a Uhaul, that means he was running and wouldn’t be at that address any longer!!!! Maybe they would have gotten to blow his face off at a close distance had he not been a wuss and ran like a little girl!
Again, cops are darned if they do and darned if they don’t!
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