Grand jury declines to indict Columbus officer after shooting knife-wielding man

A Franklin County grand jury on Friday declined to indict a Columbus police officer who shot and killed a knife-wielding man in 2021 during a domestic dispute at an apartment complex near Eastland Mall, concluding the criminal investigation, according to the Franklin County prosecutor's office.

Officer Andrew Hawkins shot Kyle Anthony Veyon, 26, of North Linden, after Veyon ignored repeated commands to drop the knife. An attempt to use a Taser failed, police said.

Around 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2021, officers were called to an apartment on the 2400 block of Kimberly Parkway East in The Flats at Kimberly for what was first believed to be an unknown complaint. As officers were on their way to the scene, it was determined by dispatchers that there was a domestic disturbance.

Body camera footage shows a woman approaching police and saying, "He's in there. He tried to kill me with a knife. "

Within seconds, Veyon came outside, holding what appears to be a switchblade-style knife, making slashing motions at his throat. One officer tells Veyon to "stay right there," according to the body camera footage.

Veyon began to run toward the woman, with whom he had a relationship. The officers chased him a short distance, approximately 10 steps.

One officer pulls out a Taser and attempts to use it as Veyon approached Hawkins, making slashing motions near his neck with the knife and yelling, "Kill me!"

The second officer appears to check the Taser and it misfired. Hawkins then fires his weapon three times, the video shows.

Veyon fell to the ground, clutching his neck and yelling. Officers begin administering aid as they called for a medic.

Hawkins is heard on the video saying an expletive almost immediately after firing. Another officer tells him he "did what he had to do."

Veyon later died at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center.

In the video, the woman said Veyon had hit her before, but had never acted like he had that morning with the knife.

Hawkins is an 11-year veteran of the division.

mferench@dispatch.com

@MarkFerenchik

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Grand jury declines to indict officer who shot knife-wielding man