Two individuals have been hit with federal charges following an Ohio robbery spree that ended in a police shootout resulting in the death of a third suspect and critical injuries to an officer.
Ohio Robbery Spree Ends in Shootout
The Ohio robbery spree began around 2:15 p.m. on Thursday when one of the suspects, at gunpoint, forcibly obtained the keys to an SUV from an employee at a Porsche dealership in Whitehall, as explained by Whitehall Deputy Police Chief Dan Kelso.
This suspect and two accomplices proceeded to rob a bank in Columbus but were confronted by the police, U.S. News reported. The trio fled the scene in the stolen SUV, initiating a high-speed pursuit that eventually led them onto Interstate 70 in Columbus.
Greg Bodker, assistant police chief of the city, reported that the suspects began firing at the pursuing officers, who swiftly returned fire. During the exchange, one suspect sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, while the remaining two suspects fled on foot.
The wounded officer was promptly transported to a hospital, where he underwent surgery and was later upgraded to stable condition. Although the officer’s name has not been disclosed, officials revealed that he has served with the Columbus police force for less than five years.
At present, investigators have not determined which suspect was responsible for the gunfire that injured the officer. Additionally, Parker stated that authorities are considering the possibility of filing state charges against the defendants.
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Ohio Robbery Suspects Faces Charge
The suspects of the Ohio robbery, identified as Aden Abdullahi Jama, 20, from Reynoldsburg, and Fazsal M. Darod, 23, from Columbus, are now facing charges of aiding and abetting a bank robbery and the use of a firearm during a violent crime, according to U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker of the Southern District of Ohio, who addressed the media on Saturday evening.
Jama was apprehended by federal marshals on Saturday afternoon at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Turkey, stated Parker. Darod had been taken into custody earlier on Friday by a federal marshals’ fugitive apprehension strike team outside his residence.
Authorities are currently seeking Jama’s extradition from Illinois. As of now, it remains unclear whether the defendants and suspects of the Ohio robbery have legal representation.
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