Cop Fatally Shoots 16-Year-Old Boy Inside Ohio Courtroom

An Ohio sheriff's deputy fatally shot a 16-year-old boy at a court appearance Wednesday during an altercation involving the teen and family members, officials say.

Joseph Haynes, 16, was struck by a single shot at a Franklin County courthouse in Columbus where he was appearing for a hearing involving a charge of menacing with a firearm, said Franklin County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Rick Minerd.

Haynes was in court on two delinquency cases, both involving guns, The Columbus Dispatch reports. During the hearing, Magistrate Larry Sanchez ordered him placed on electronic monitoring.

"At some point as the hearing was concluding there was an altercation that ensued involving the deputy and some of the family members," Minerd told WCMH.

The deputy was knocked to the ground and fired a shot, which struck Haynes. Haynes was shot in the abdomen and taken to a hospital where he died, Minerd said. The deputy was not identified. Minerd said he was injured and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Minerd told reporters that the deputy "came under attack from some of the folks that were involved." He added that Haynes was allegedly involved in the altercation.

Haynes' attorney, Jennifer Brisco, said the fray occurred when the deputy threatened to arrest her client, who had become emotional during and after the hearing.

"Joseph was a little out of sorts because of how things went at the hearing," Brisco told The Dispatch. "The officer threatened to lock him up and a scuffle broke out. Joseph was resisting, and that's when there was a scuffle."

She said she backed away as "a bunch of people" tried to break up the struggle, then heard a gunshot.

Brisco didn't see the shooting or Haynes' family members intervening, she said, but did witness Haynes' mother fall into the deputy during the struggle.

"I think she kind of lost her balance," Brisco said. "I know she was trying to get to her son."

"On behalf of Sheriff [Dallas] Baldwin and our office, we want to extend our condolences to the Haynes family and wish the officer who was involved a speedy recovery," Minerd said.

Minerd said the incident occurred at around 12:40 p.m. and that Haynes was pronounced dead at 1:14 p.m.

Minerd described the deputy as being stable and said the injuries are not life-threatening and were not gunshot related.

The court where Haynes was shot was described as domestic court. "That's a very busy courtroom, [a] very emotional floor here in the courthouse," Minerd said.

Minerd said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and the sheriff's office is working in conjunction with the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Geraldine Haynes, Haynes' grandmother, told The Dispatch that she was only a few feet away when the struggle broke out.

"They could have Tased him. He didn't have to shoot him," she said as a tear rolled down her face at her South Side home.

In her account of events, Geraldine Haynes said her grandson became upset when the deputy put his hands on Haynes' mother. Karen Haynes, 41, was pushed up against a wall, Geraldine Haynes said, which prompted Joseph Haynes to shout at the deputy to "leave his mom alone, leave his mom alone."

Joseph Haynes grabbed the deputy's shoulder, Geraldine Haynes said. The deputy "let go of Karen and slung Joey on the ground," she said.

At that point, she said, Joseph Haynes didn't move and his hands were above his head.

"All of a sudden he pulled his gun and shot him," Geraldine Haynes said of the deputy. "You could smell the gunpowder."

The family was taken into other rooms immediately after the shooting. They didn't learn until about 4 p.m. that Joseph Haynes was dead, Geraldine Haynes said.

Keith Ferrell, executive vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, which represents Franklin County deputies, said that hands were reaching for the deputy's service weapon, Taser or both during the scuffle.

"We're responsive to people's actions. We don't choose to come to work and shoot people," Ferrell said. "It gives our people very little choice to protect themselves and the public.

"Unfortunately, he had to stop the threat," Ferrell said. "It was a significant struggle. And his injuries support that."

Franklin County Commissioner John O'Grady told the Columbus Dispatch that public safety is always an issue and commissioners would "certainly be willing" to discuss added juvenile court security with court personnel.

Photo credit: Facebook / Joseph Haynes