Police in Franklin County have fatally shot 10 people in 2024
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Law enforcement officers in Franklin County have fatally shot 10 people in 2024, making this the second-most-deadly year for police killings in the past decade, per Campaign Zero and police data.
Why it matters: The reform advocacy group's Mapping Police Violence database offers the public a comprehensive view of police violence since 2013 and highlights disparities in predominantly Black neighborhoods.
How it works: Campaign Zero uses news reports and other sources to track each time an officer's actions result in someone's death, regardless if they're on duty or off duty or if the death is ruled "justified" or "unjustified."
- It's possible some cases may go undetected if they're unreported.
Between the lines: The research is noteworthy for Columbus, where police misconduct settlements are costly and statistics can be tough to come by.
- A recent federal review concluded the Columbus Division of Police has inadequate systems in place to track and report data on officers' use of force, "making meaningful analysis of those data difficult and, in some instances, impossible."
By the numbers: A total of 77 people have died at the hands of Franklin County-based law enforcement officers since 2013, according to Campaign Zero and Columbus Division of Police data reviewed by Axios.
- Of those cases, 62 involved Columbus officers.
- Shootings were slightly more concentrated in the Hilltop and South Side.
- Of the 76 people whose race was reported, 67.1% were Black — despite Black residents making up 25.3% of Franklin County's population.
Zoom in: Two recent Columbus cases involved unusual circumstances.
- In 2022, an off-duty officer driving intoxicated fatally struck pedestrian Naimo Mahdi Abdirahman and fled the scene.
- In July, five Columbus officers shot and killed Samuel "Jehovah" Sharpe Jr. in Milwaukee while working outside the Republican National Convention.
What we're watching: Campaign Zero plans to release neighborhood-level race data for several U.S. cities like Columbus over the next year.
What they're saying: People's Justice Project executive director Aramis Sundiata tells Axios the local data is no surprise, but helps "prove our case" for police accountability.
- "It gives clarity, it gives a material connection to what's actually happening to the people outside — our community, our families, our neighbors," Sundiata says.
The other side: Work is being done "at every level of officer training" to prioritize de-escalation, Columbus Department of Public Safety spokesperson Glenn McEntyre said in a statement.
- Columbus police officers used force in less than 1% of all public interactions between 2018-22, the most recent data available.
- The department continues to build on "community engagement efforts to strengthen trust and legitimacy, and we are making strides in diversifying our force to better reflect the community we serve," the statement says.
Go deeper: New map unveils the deadliest neighborhoods for police killings