COLUMBUS — An officer with the Columbus Division of Police has been arrested, according to our media partner WBNS-10 TV.
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Jacob Smith, 50, has been charged with strangulation and illegal possession of a firearm in a liquor permit premises, according to a complaint filed in the Common Pleas Court of Delaware County.
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Smith was arrested on Feb. 28 and has been relieved of his duty with the Columbus police.
The complaint obtained by WBNS-10 indicates that Smith put his hand on the victim’s neck and squeezed until they lost consciousness.
He then allegedly put both hands on the victim’s neck and squeezed again, causing them to lose consciousness again.
Records show that Smith also had a Glock 48 on him while inside The Blue Sushi, which is a restaurant that has a liquor license.
It is unclear if the alleged strangulation happened at The Blue Sushi, WBNS-10 reported.
Columbus Police Sergeant Joe Albert told our media partner that Smith was relieved of duty in June 2024 pending a criminal investigation in a different county. No criminal charges were filed.
In court on Monday, a prosecutor said Smith called his father from the Delaware County Jail and used “thinly veiled coded words.”
He had his father remove the firearms from his house so police wouldn’t seize them, WBNS-10 reported.
Smith’s bond has been set at $225,000 and is scheduled to appear in court on March 10.
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