Officers' identities now shielded after shootings
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Columbus police officers fatally shot four people this summer, but it's possible the public will never know the officers' names.
Driving the news: The Columbus Division of Police is no longer identifying officers who shoot people, citing an update to Ohio's crime victim privacy law that took effect April 6.
- The division says the officers are also considered victims, so identifying them would now be illegal.
Why it matters: Critics say shielding officers' names worsens accountability for a department that is already facing scrutiny — and a federal review — over its use of force.
State of play: Ohio voters in 2017 overwhelmingly approved Marsy's Law, which was pitched as a way to protect crime victims. Lawmakers codified it in April.
- State law now specifies that public offices must "take measures to prevent the public disclosure" of victims' names, addresses or other identifying information through redaction of public records.
The big picture: Police in other states with a version of Marsy's Law are also using it to shield officers' identities, and the practice is being challenged in the Florida Supreme Court.
Catch up quick: The four fatal shootings by Columbus police officers this summer span about a month.
- July 6: After an alleged robbery spree, police shot one suspect and one officer was injured during a shootout on I-70.
- July 8: Police said a man fired at a Franklin County deputy, before a standoff in an East Side apartment building. Four Columbus officers pursued and shot him 15 times.
- Aug. 5: A man apparently experiencing a mental health crisis repeatedly stepped into traffic on U.S. 23. As he ran toward an officer with a piece of glass, the officer shot him.
- Aug. 9: A shootout involving multiple officers followed an alleged shopping center robbery on the South Side. The suspect died and one officer was injured.
What they're saying: Columbus city attorney spokesperson Pete Shipley tells Axios "the identity of any victim of a crime, including a law enforcement officer, is protected" under Marsy's Law.
- City leaders advised lawmakers of this consequence, he says.
Of note: If an officer is charged with a crime, their name would be in the public record in court filings, a police spokesperson tells Axios.
The other side: "When a law is interpreted and applied to cut off the public's right of access and right to monitor police activity, there's a potential constitutional issue there," says Jack Greiner, a Cincinnati attorney specializing in public records.
Between the lines: Ramon Obey II, regional organizer with the People's Justice Project, tells Axios the change will harm victims of police brutality.
- "If we're framing the police as victims, we're immediately assuming the guilt of the other person. They're never going to get a fair chance in this legal system."