Man chased by police, tased at Columbus zoo following traffic incident

One man was tased arrested after an incident at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium that involved a brief police chase.

Just after 2 p.m. on April 15, a traffic accident in front of the Zoo on State Route 750 caused a Shawnee Hills police officer to direct traffic in the area. A man driving a jeep did not follow the officer’s orders and opted to pull into the Zoo parking lot instead.

The officer followed the man, who then left his vehicle and fled on foot, with several officers chasing him. He was eventually subdued with a taser and arrested.

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Although no Zoo guests were harmed in the incident, the event did initially lead to untrue rumors that an active shooter was in the area of the zoo. 

“When the individual did not stop, an officer drew their weapon and the other officer tased the individual. No gunfire was exchanged and the individual and officers did not enter the Zoo. In these types of high tense situations, rumors spread quickly. There was no active shooter situation at the Zoo and there never was,” a press release from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium reads. “The Zoo staff has safety drills throughout the year for various types of emergency scenarios. We continually assess our process and protocols to keep staff, guests and the animals in our care safe.”

Want to read more? Check out our print publication, (614) Magazine. Learn where you can find a free copy of our new April issue here!

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