COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Columbus police officer is hospitalized and a suspect is dead after cruisers chased a trio of accused robbers on the highway Thursday.
Around 4 p.m., one Columbus police officer was shot in the leg during a shoot-out that occurred on Interstate 70 near West Mound Street as cruisers pursued three suspects accused of robbing a Whitehall car dealership and later a bank, police said. Medics pronounced one suspect dead at 4:20 p.m., and large swaths of I-70 remain closed.
Two suspects -- both of whom ran southbound from the stolen car when the police pursuit ended -- remain at large, according to Columbus Division of Police Sgt. Joe Albert. Officers recovered a handgun from the scene.
"Today, our greatest fear in law enforcement became a reality when a Columbus Division of Police officer was shot in the line of duty," Chief Elaine Bryant said in a statement Thursday night. "This is a reminder of the dangers the courageous men and women of this Division face each day as they work to keep our community safe."
The pursuit began around 2 p.m., shortly after officers responded to reports of an armed robbery at a Porsche dealership on the 400 block of N. Hamilton Road in Whitehall, Albert said.
Three men demanded keys to a black Porsche SUV and drove it to rob a Fifth Third Bank on the 2400 block of Hilliard Rome Road on the city's west side, according to Columbus Division of Police Assistant Deputy Chief Greg Bodker.
Several law enforcement agencies and at least two helicopters followed the stolen Porsche to I-70 near West Mound Street, where the shoot-out began. Although the details remain unclear, Albert said multiple officers discharged their weapons.
The officer who was shot was taken by his partner to the operating room at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in critical condition, where he is "fighting for his life," according to Brian Steel, executive vice president of the local Fraternal Order of Police.
Around 6:40 p.m., Steel said the officer's condition was upgraded to stable.
"One of our police officers was shot in the line of duty this afternoon, a start reminder of the dangers they face every day," Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said in a statement. "I pray for his recovery and ask the community to lift up his family."
The following highway ramps are expected to remain closed for several hours:
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations is leading the investigation, as is protocol in officer-involved shootings, Bodker said.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
