Man shot by police to get huge $237K settlement
Following an extensive court battle between area resident James Barber and Columbus Police, Barber was awarded $237,000 in a settlement for being wrongfully shot by an officer.
The court determined that Barber was attempting to talk a friend and co-worker out of committing suicide at a Best Value Inn near Hilliard, grabbing forks and other sharp objects away from him, when two police officers arrived in the doorway.
One officer, Bobby G. Schoolcraft, yelled “Freeze,” his gun drawn.
When Barber turned around, Schoolcraft noticed a shiny silver object in his hand and shot him with his .40-caliber weapon in his right shoulder.
The careless bullet left Schoolcraft unable to work his roofing job and unable to cover his medical bills, which were more than his annual salary, leading to the $237,000 settlement, one of the largest Columbus Police have payed in a decade.
In court, the facts were contentious, with police saying Barber was intoxicated and he lunged towards the officer, and Barber denying both claims.
The other officer on duty with Schoolcraft at the time of the shooting, Kelly Yeager, said lethal force was “not necessary.”
Notably, Schoolcraft has credibility issues, and pleaded no contest to a charge of soliciting a prostitute in February of this year.
Eventually, the court sided with Barber, determining that he was trying to help his friend, nothing more.
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