About 200 protestors march in downtown Columbus. They were protesting police killings of several Black Americans — including the killing of Daunte Wright Sunday near Minneapolis and of Miles Jackson at a hospital in Westerville, Ohio, Monday. Credit: Owen Milnes | Campus Producer
Mary Kidwell, Jessica Langer, Owen Milnes, Jessica Orozco and Sarah Szilagy contributed reporting.
More than 200 people protested in downtown Columbus Saturday afternoon with the same message: “Black lives still matter.”
Demonstrators gathered at the Ohio Statehouse at noon to protest police killings of several Black Americans — including the killing of Daunte Wright Sunday near Minneapolis and of Miles Jackson at a hospital in Westerville, Ohio, Monday — before marching around downtown.
Kiara Yakita, the founder and president of the Black Liberation Movement of Central Ohio, acknowledged that many people in the crowd have been protesting against police violence for months.
“After the entire world came together to try and show law enforcement that Black lives are not target practice, and Black lives are not prey — they still refuse to listen,” Yakita said.
DeJuan Sharp speaks at the protest before the march. Credit: Owen Milnes | Campus Producer
Saturday’s protest comes after several others occurred at Columbus Police headquarters during the week, including one on Tuesday that resulted in protesters breaking into the building and one protester, Ohio State student Hunter Mattin, being arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer.
Mattin, a second-year in public policy, was charged with first-degree aggravated burglary and is accused of hitting Sgt. James Coleman with a club. Mattin pled not guilty at his arraignment Thursday and was released on bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 23.
Andrew Lin, a member of the Columbus Socialist Alternative, called for Mattin to be freed and for more community accountability for police.
“In reference to recent protests, Mayor (Andrew) Ginther went as far as to say that violence is intolerable,” Lin said, referring to Ginther’s tweet Tuesday regarding protesters entering Columbus Police headquarters. “But why isn’t the violence that’s committed against Black people by cops every single day?”
We share the frustrations over police killings of unarmed Black men, and we support nonviolent protests. That does not include breaking into public buildings or violence against officers. Let me be clear: Violence and destruction will not be tolerated.
— Mayor Andrew Ginther (@MayorGinther) April 14, 2021
The Columbus community has experienced several police shootings of Black men in the past year.
On Monday, 27-year-old Jackson of northwest Columbus died in an altercation with Columbus Police and security at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s medical center in Westerville, Ohio. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement Wednesday that the Bureau of Criminal Investigations is looking into the incident and confirmed that Jackson had a gun that was discharged.
Columbus Police identified the officers involved as Andrew Howe and Ryan Krichbaum on Wednesday. The St. Ann’s security guard involved has not been identified.
Andre Hill, 47, died after he was shot multiple times by former Columbus Police officer Adam Coy Dec. 22, 2020. Less than three weeks earlier, 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr. was killed after being shot multiple times outside of his northeast Columbus home by Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Meade.
Ethan Lape, a fourth-year in history, said fighting against police killings of Black Americans is important for all Americans, no matter their race.
“I just always remember when I was, like, 12, hearing about Trayvon Martin, I just could not believe it. To be 22 now and still have these same things happening is just mind-boggling,” Lape said.
Martin was a 17-year-old killed by George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch coordinator for his gated community in Sanford, Florida, where Martin was visiting relatives, in 2012.
Shreyas Maddi, a fourth-year in economics, said he feels a responsibility to drive change in any way he can.
“Our country is more or less founded on racism and a lot of values that I honestly look very down upon. So I feel like it’s important as a citizen, as someone living in a modern world who actually wants the world to become a better place,” Maddi said.
