Behind the Badge
An Ohio police officer died two days after he was shot during a SWAT call out when a man opened fire after police tried to arrest him for allegedly setting his estranged wife’s home on fire.
Officer Steven M. Smith, a 27-year veteran of the Columbus Police Department, died early Tuesday night after sustaining a critical gunshot wound Sunday, April 10, NBC News reported.
Smith, 54, was among the SWAT members called upon to arrest a man accused of setting his wife’s home on fire on Saturday, April 9.
The suspect was taken into custody several hours after the shooting.
In his career with the Columbus PD, Smith worked patrol, strategic response, narcotics and SWAT. He was also a member of the helicopter unit and dive team, according to Columbus PD.
Smith had been shot in the line of duty once before in 2013.
He is the 54th Columbus police officer killed in the line of duty since 1816, and he is the 31st officer killed in the line of duty in the United States so far this year, Columbus PD reported.
Smith is survived by his wife of 32 years and two adult children.
Services to honor Smith’s service will be held Monday.
