COLUMBUS — A federal judge has dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit against police in Ohio’s capital city over the 2016 shooting of a man by undercover officers.
Columbus police say 23-year-old Henry Green, who was black, ignored commands by two white officers to drop his gun during the incident.
Court documents and depositions say Green shot at officers, who then returned fire. Green’s family argued Green only fired after police shot at him.
A grand jury declined to indict the officers, and an internal Columbus police investigation cleared them. But the shooting led to criticism of the police department’s summer safety initiative targeting violence-prone areas.
Federal Judge George Smith said Thursday it was reasonable to use deadly force under the circumstances faced by the officers.
Green’s attorney promised an appeal.
