Columbus SWAT Officer In Critical Condition After Suspect Opens Fire

A Columbus, Ohio, SWAT officer remains in “very critical condition ” hours after a suspect opened fire on a SWAT team attempting to serve a warrant, according to a report from FOX News.

SWAT officers came under fire around 3 a.m. Sunday while serving a felony arrest warrant on accused arsonist Lincoln Rutledge, 44. According to Police Chief Kim Jacobs, the officer, who has not been identified, but has been described as a well-liked and respected veteran officer of the force, remains in critical condition. Reports indicate that he has undergone surgery.

“Our officer is in very critical condition. We won’t know what happens to him for some time at this point in time. We do need everyone to pray for him.”

Chief Jacobs declined to discuss the officer’s injuries, calling them “private medical information” and indicated that family members were with him at the hospital, but that his name would be withheld until more family members could be privately informed.

“He’s been on the division for many years, a couple decades. He’s very highly respected, very highly trained, well-liked. He always had a smile on his face. People really loved to be around him and they’re hoping to continue that for many years to come.”

According to The Columbus Dispatch, a standoff between Rutledge and SWAT officers began just before midnight at his apartment at 14 W. California Ave., just west of N. High St. Rutledge is accused of setting fire to his ex-girlfriend’s house in the 500 block of Fairlawn Drive in Clintonville on Saturday morning.

The standoff lasted over eight hours, after which Rutledge finally surrendered. Partway through, Rutledge’s own apartment caught fire, and after surrendering, he was taken to OSU Wexner to be treated for a gunshot wound and smoke inhalation. According to Chief Jacobs, his injuries were “[not] very serious at all.” It has not yet been made clear whether the fire at Rutledge’s apartment during the standoff was accidental or deliberate.

According to Rutledge’s neighbors, he and his ex-girlfriend had lived together at the Clintonville house until breaking up sometime in the fall. The woman who lived at the house (whose identity has not been made public; it is unclear at this point if Rutledge’s ex-girlfriend still lived in the house) was out of town when the fire was set. Firefighters arrived quickly and extinguished the blaze, which only caused significant damage to the back of the house. Meanwhile, surveillance cameras caught footage of Rutledge arriving at the house, and smoke billowing up as he left.

SWAT officers were sent to execute the felony arrest warrant as Rutledge had exhibited “erratic behavior” in the past, and was known to be armed. He barricaded himself inside his apartment shortly before midnight. About three hours later, “SWAT tried to use their armored vehicle to approach the residence, and at the time they came under fire,” taking shots from a rear first-floor window; the officer who was struck was sitting in one of the armored vehicles, and at least one officer returned fire. The wounded officer received immediate treatment from fire department medics on the scene.

Jake Sidorski, Rutledge’s next-door neighbor, was asked by police officers at 11:15 p.m. if he knew his neighbor, and to stay away from the shared wall between their apartments. Sidorski opted to go out with friends instead, and heard later that shots had been fired and that the building had been on fire. When he was told the next day by police that the building was too unstable for him to enter, he thought that he had lost everything. He said that he hadn’t known Rutledge at all, and was unaware of any problems with him.

Chief Jacobs said that the events surrounding Rutledge’s arrest were a reminder of the dangers of police work.

“It’s difficult for me to understand why anybody would take on a police officer, but I do know there are some very desperate people out there, some very dangerous people out there, and sometimes they choose to go out in a certain way and or take us on in a certain way… Right now, there are people who could care less about the authority of the police.”

[AP Photo/Andrew Welsh-Huggins]