Police officers have come under rifle fire in an attack in the city of Columbus, Ohio, police said. The incident prompted police to shut down a large portion of a major street.
“Officers under attack from rifle fire,” the message on Columbus Police Dispatch said.
#BREAKING: Large portion of Cleveland Ave. shut down due to police investigation after shots fired in the area. pic.twitter.com/nJ64j11atd
— WSYX ABC 6 (@wsyx6) July 21, 2016
Later, Columbus’s ABC 6 reported a large portion of Cleveland Avenue was shut down in the city’s north as the police investigation was underway. Fox 28 said on Twitter shots were fired in the area.
“Officers responded to the area of Windsor Ave (South Linden) on the report of multiple shots being fired,” police said in a press release. “Upon arrival, officers were able to identify two apartments along with multiple vehicles that had been struck by gunfire.”
However, while police were waiting for CPD’s Assault Unit, an unknown individual opened fire on the officers “using a high caliber firearm,” the statement said.
No officers were injured in the attack.
A gunman is reportedly on the loose after opening rifle fire, WBNS-TV reported.
The hashtag #bluelivesmatter, referring to targeted police officers, has appeared on Twitter in connection to the incident.
Columbus, the capital and the largest city in Ohio, is home to some 850,000 people.
Some 140km from the city, the Republican National Convention has been held in Cleveland since July 18. From Day 1 protests and scuffles between police and activists have been reported across the country.
On Wednesday several people were arrested after burning an American flag in a protest outside the RNC. Cleveland Police said that two officers were “assaulted” and sustained “minor injuries.”
Earlier this month, the killing of five police officers by a former military amid mass Black Lives Matter protests in the city of Dallas made headlines across the world. Five officers were killed and nine more injured. On top of that, two civilians sustained injuries.
Police later identified the shooter as Micah Johnson, 25, of Mesquite, Texas. He was reportedly driven by revenge and began to take out police officers using a sniper rifle, which led to a tense standoff and ended in his death.
Rifle fire. Why are there no reports of people getting hit?
Even a poor shooter should be able to hit a man sized target at 100 to 150 yards as long as the rifle is sighted in. This comment goes for both sides of the conflict. What is a high caliber rifle? I see a high caliber rifle as one larger than any variant of .308 bullets.
CENTER FIRE ROUND?
I’m thinking it’s all lies
I’m thinking the same thing.
So let me get this straight, so from now on every time a normal shooting happens (no matter how minute) and the police get involved, the MSM is going to say the police are under fire by a shooter even when the shooter was already shooting BEFORE the cops got involved?
Is this how it’s going to go from now on? I mean come on! Is this how they are going to create their “Summer of Chaos” and how they are going to try and get our guns? By over-exaggerating a small shooting?
What’s next? Someone shoots a few cans out in the field for target practice and if the police show up while he’s still shooting the cans, the media will say, “The police are under fire”?
I mean really? Are they that desperate to get our guns? It’s pathetic.
I CALL BULLSHIT…. IF I SHOOT AT YOU WITH A RIFLE… YOUR DEAD
“No officers were injured in the attack.”
Then… WHAT attack?
Accept upon proof-of-claim.
Exactly! Now they’re just trying to over-exaggerate any police incident involving a gun. It’s pathetic.