Police in Ohio were caught in a sprawling gunfight Sunday with a suspect wanted on multiple warrants who had said he wanted to "shoot it out" with officers
The incident began at about noon when Columbus police responded to a report of a 22-year-old man who was threatening to assault his ex-girlfriend in the city's North Linden neighborhood, The Columbus Dispatch reports. The woman told dispatchers that the man—identified as Rodriguez Fitzgerald—had an illegal Glock handgun with an automatic switch on it.
Police found that the suspect had multiple active warrants, including warrants for felonious assault and discharging a firearm into a residence. While officers and a SWAT unit headed to the scene, dispatchers informed them that the man had said he wanted to "shoot it out with police."
Body camera footage captured officers arriving at a home and knocking on the front door. A woman can be heard screaming inside, telling officers she was scared.
Fitzgerald then flees to an alley behind the house and begins shooting at police. An officer taking cover behind a fence returns fire in an exchange of over 30 shots.
After about 90 seconds—and a need to reload by the officer—Fitzgerald surrenders.
"You got me. You got me," he's heard saying as he throws down his gun.
As police handcuff FItzgerald, he continues to yell profanities at officers before eventually apologizing. He also was treated at the scene and was taken to the hospital in critical condition before he was upgraded to stable condition.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is looking into the shooting
