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GTA: Columbus
Here’s a crime spree to rival anything you’ve done in Grand Theft Auto.
Yesterday afternoon, three guys strolled into Byers Import Porsche in Whitehall, held an employee at gunpoint, and stole a Porsche Cayenne.
They drove across town to rob a bank on Hilliard-Rome Road before police chased them down I-70. That led to a shootout with officers ON THE HIGHWAY near downtown.
A Columbus police officer was shot and remained hospitalized in stable condition as of Friday morning. One of the suspects was killed in the shootout and two others fled on foot in Franklinton. A massive search continued into Thursday evening before the two were arrested around 1:30 am in the Linden area.
All I can say right now is our @capcityfop CPD Brother is in operating room fighting for his life.
His Wife along with his Brothers and Sisters in blue are here and praying for him.
Please do the same!
#DangersWeFace
— Brian Steel (@BrianSteel_)
Jul 6, 2023
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Scarlet Letter Trivia
Question: Columbus “high school” Bishop Sycamore lost 58-0 on national TV, exposing the school as a football-focused fraud. The story is featured in a new documentary, BS High. Who’d they lose to in that infamous ESPN-broadcast game?
A. Hilliard Davidson
B. Wright-Patt
C. Mo Alie-Cox
D. IMG Academy
In the News
New Threads
Some Columbus brands are finding their way to Meta’s new Threads app. Most notably Wendy’s, which has taken that famous Twitter/TikTok energy over to the competitor social network with gems like ”how much do the blue check marks cost on this one” and “mid donald” (a knock on McDonald’s for being moderate/average).
Are you on Threads? You can find us there, along with 5,000+ of our closest friends, at “onlyincbus.”
From Home
A proposal that would have required state workers to be in the office at least four days a week was struck from Ohio’s $86.1 billion budget.
Government employees haven’t returned en masse, leaving downtown quieter on weekdays than the Shoe after a Michigan loss. Only about 900 of 3,800 state workers based out of the Rhodes Tower are there on any given day, according to Columbus Business First.
Serious Sentencing
The man accused of raping and impregnating a 9-year-old Columbus girl, generating national headlines last year for her subsequent trip to Indiana to receive an abortion, has been sentenced to life in prison. DNA testing proved Gerson Fuentes, a 28-year-old undocumented immigrant, impregnated the girl. Dr. Caitlin Bernard performed the abortion in Indianapolis and spoke to the Indianapolis Star about the case. President Biden pointed to the case as a reason to restore abortion rights.
Going Easy
Columbus is making a bet that going easy on shoplifting will help decrease shoplifting.
City Attorney Zach Klein unveiled “Buckeye Deflection,” which sounds like a famous punt block or a strategy to mitigate responsibility for Dr. Strauss but is actually a program that aims to help nonviolent shoplifters who steal low-value items. Columbus is among five communities nationwide participating in the pilot project spearheaded by the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and Justice System Partners.
“Buckeye Deflection is working to improve lives and meet the needs of those struggling in our community while also freeing up prosecutors to go after violent and higher level criminals who pose a serious threat to public safety,” Klein said.
The program is meant to connect people dealing with poverty, homelessness, mental illness, or substance use to community resources. Some shoplifters may still be prosecuted while also receiving access to help. Klein says businesses are on board, although skeptics will point to San Francisco, where nonviolent shoplifting goes unprosecuted and some retailers have closed up shop.
Quotable
It was something that I hope to never get again.
Be safe out there, everyone.
Cooking Through Columbus
🚨 Update: We’re over 86% of the way to our GOAL! Grab your copy today!
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Trivia Answer
D. Bishop Sycamore’s football team lost 58-0 to IMG Academy on national TV in 2021. After the blowout loss, the school was exposed as entirely made up. The story is the subject of a new documentary called BS High.
Signing Off
The Crew are back at Lower.com Field this weekend.
