COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Columbus Police SWAT responded to a Taco Bell on the north side of Columbus for reports of a hostage situation Tuesday afternoon.
It happened at the Taco Bell the area of State Route 161 near Maple Canyon Avenue.
The SWAT situation happened after the suspect ran into the restaurant after a robbery at a nearby PNC Bank, according to Columbus police.
Nobody was hurt at the bank and the suspect got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.
A sign on the PNC Bank window states, “OFFICE TEMPORARILY CLOSED DUE TO AN EMERGENCY.”
Police eventually took a suspect is in custody.
The Columbus Police Critical Incident Response Team is investigating the incident.
According to Police Chief Kim Jacobs, an officer who was responding to the apartment complex next to the Taco Bell for a report of the suspect being in the vicinity shot the man in the stomach.
Jacobs was unable to explain why the officer opened fire on the suspect, having not talked to the officer or been provided a reason from him.
According to police, after the suspect was shot he fled through an apartment on the second floor of the complex and jumped out the window.
That’s when they say he ran to the Taco Bell and took hostages.
According to the witness that called police to tip them off to the suspect’s location; the suspect was bragging about robbing the bank and boasting of his plans to rob an armored vehicle the next day.
They also claim he took credit for robbing a number of hotels on the north side of Columbus and neighboring communities.
The suspect was taken to the hospital for surgery, while police continue their investigation.
Police identified the suspect as 18-year-old Julius D. Core. Charges are pending further investigation.Keep checking NBC4i.com for real-time updates on this story. To get alerts for breaking news, grab the free NBC4 News App for iPhone or Android. You can also sign up for email alerts.
