Woman shoots, wounds 2 SWAT officers in Columbus who were serving probate warrant

COLUMBUS — (UPDATE @ 8:30 p.m.:) One woman is in custody, accused of shooting two Franklin County SWAT officers Tuesday morning in Columbus.

Our news partner, WBNS in Columbus, reports that the SWAT team members were shot in their legs and the injuries were not life-threatening. Both reportedly were in stable condition at Riverside Methodist Hospital and one was out of surgery, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Deputy Jim Gilbert said the officers were serving a probate warrant to take a woman in for a mental health evaluation when she confronted the officers and shot them.

About 2:30 p.m., Columbus police said one of two women in the home left voluntarily and was to be interviewed by investigators.

About 30 minutes later, police said the other woman was taken into custody on the roof of the home.

Investigators then went through the house on Beulah Road, north of I-71 on the city’s north side, to make sure it was safe.

A probate warrant is used when there is a concern a person could be a danger to himself or herself or to others, WBNS reports.

While the sheriff’s office has served up to 1,500 such warrants a year, they usually happen without incident. Once such a warrant is approved, law enforcement will pick up the person for a mental evaluation.

“They can be very dangerous because you are dealing with people that will have issues, and they are maybe not in their right mind. Anything can happen,” Sheriff Dallas Baldwin said.

Franklin County Judge Robert Montgomery, who presides over probate court, said it is an order of detention.

“One thing I want to clarify, this is not a criminal case, it’s a civil case,” he said.

Cox Media Group