Franklin County Sheriff’s office has released the name of the deputy who shot and killed 16-year-old Joseph Haynes, as well as video of the day of the incident.
On Wednesday afternoon, Deputy Richard Scarborough became involved in a fight with Haynes and members of Haynes’ family in the Franklin County courthouse, after Haynes attended a hearing there. At some point, Scarborough discharged his gun, shooting Haynes in the side.
Haynes was transported to Grant Medical Center, where he died. Haynes was treated at Riverside Hospital for facial injuries.
According to Chief Rick Minerd, of the Sheriff's Office investigative subdivision, video released from the courthouse shows the lobby outside the courtroom and of the elevator but doesn’t provide a view of the fight itself.
“That video is not as fruitful as we would have liked, in terms of what it shows,” Minerd says. “And so we’re hopeful there’s other information out there.”
Minerd says they are looking for cell phone footage that may help the case. He says they’ve interviewed about 20 people so far in the case, but are having difficulty collecting reliable information because the altercation began in one location and ended in another.
Authorities say that Haynes and his mother became "very agitative and disruptive" and were escorted out of the courtroom. An altercation broke out between Scarborough, Haynes and his mother, during which Scarborough was “somehow knocked to the ground where he came under attack.” According to Haynes' family members, Scarborough allegedly grabbed Haynes’ mother, at which point Haynes attempted to defend her.
“It’s a pretty busy, chaotic floor on the courthouse,” Minerd says.
Minerd says the decision over whether the shooting was justified will be left to a grand jury, as are all police-involved shooting cases in Columbus.
“We owe it to everybody to do our best that the job is done right, to look at this thing objectively and do the best investigation that we possibly can,” Minerd says.
Scarborough has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues. Members of the Fraternal Order of Police defended Scarborough’s actions, while Haynes’ family members have called for his firing.
