No charges for Columbus police officers who fatally shot murder suspect

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Three Columbus police officers will not be indicted for the 2020 shooting death of 17-year-old Joseph Jewell, a grand jury ruled Friday.

While attempting to arrest Jewell — a homicide suspect accused of fatally shooting Enrique D. Forney Jr. — in February 2020, Columbus police officers Howard Brenner, Glenn Thivener and Mark Dilello reportedly knocked on the door of the 17-year-old’s hotel room in the 800 block of East Dublin Granville Road, according to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office.

Upon identifying themselves as law enforcement, Jewell reportedly opened the door and immediately fired at the officers, the prosecutor’s office said. The responding officers returned fire, and Jewell was taken to Riverside Methodist Hospital, where he later died.

A loaded firearm was recovered from the scene that indicated Jewell fired one round at officers, the prosecutor’s office said. None of the officers was injured.

After reviewing the case’s evidence, a Franklin County grand jury determined that no crime, specifically unlawful criminal homicide, was committed by the officers.