Columbus officer grazed; suspect in custody, charged

A string of gunfire incidents on Columbus’s East Side left at least one police officer injured and a suspect in custody after a crash and standoff on August 7, with the suspect, 32-year-old Brandon Burtyk, later facing felony assault charges. Investigators say the officer was hospitalized in stable condition and Burtyk was not shot, though he sustained injuries from the crash. Authorities describe a rapid sequence starting with a traffic crash near Hamilton Road and I-70, followed by Burtyk exiting with two handguns and exchanging gunfire with officers before fleeing and being located on Errington Road where he again pointed guns at officers before they returned fire and took him into custody. The incident prompted ongoing public-safety responses, multiple official briefings from the Columbus Police Department, and differing initial statements about whether the officer was grazed by a bullet. The unfolding Columbus case is being updated by local outlets as investigators piece together the timeline and charges.