Manhunt Continues For Officer's Killer
Officer Shot, Killed During Bank Robbery

POSTED: 9:13 a.m. EST January 7, 2005
UPDATED: 2:26 p.m. EST January 7, 2005


Story by nbc4i.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Police continued their search Friday for the man who shot and killed a Columbus officer during a Thursday bank robbery. Officers throughout the city paused at noon for a moment of silence in honor of the fallen officer.


The shooting took place at about 10:45 a.m. at Fifth-Third Bank, located at the 6200 block of East Broad Street, near McNaughten Road. Columbus police said Officer Bryan Hurst was working special duty inside the bank when a man in a ski mask tried to rob it, NBC 4's Mike Bowersock reported.


Several people were inside the bank at the time of the robbery. The bank has offices in the basement. Everyone inside went to the ground as shots were fired, Bowersock reported.

Police from several jurisdictions began an intensive search for the gunman that lasted most of the day. There were also several sightings of the man matching the description but all of those turned to be false.

"The officer, through his actions, saved the lives of many people inside the bank by returning gunfire and preventing anyone else from inside the bank from being injured," Deputy Chief Stephen Gammill said.

"We've got a cop killer out there," Columbus Police Sgt. Brent Mull said. "He is still on the loose. He's obviously dangerous."


The shooter was described as black, in his 20s, and 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall. He was wearing an oversized black jacket with one red sleeve. He was wearing white shoes with a dark stripe down the middle. He also had a shoulder bag and possibly a backpack. He is considered to be armed and dangerous.

Besides possibly being shot, the shooter also might have been cut on his face by glass as he exited the bank.


Mull said investigators have linked the shooter to another bank robbery. Investigators said they have evidence that the man also robbed the Sky Bank on Bethel Road on Sept. 8, 2004.

That crime also was a "takeover" style of robbery, as the robber ordered everyone to the floor. The robber then went behind the counter, removed money from the drawers and placed it into a bag. In that robbery, the man's gun fired, narrowly missing a bank employee. That robber had nearly the exact same description as the shooter in Thursday's attempted robbery.

Hurst, 33, was an officer for eight years, a newlywed for two years and a new father for six months, NBC 4's Monique Ming Laven reported.

Police thanked the officers from the city, county and state agencies who are pitching in on the case.

Hurst's fellow officers in Precinct 18 said his biggest joy was his 6-month-old daughter.

"I just assured (Hurst's wife) that we would do anything we can to make sure this individual is brought to justice and we'll make sure we help her and her family," Columbus Police Chief James Jackson said.

Hurst's fellow officers said he had a passion for his work. They said he was happy to "busy himself with getting the bad guys" and was hoping to become a detective for the juvenile bureau. His papers were in the middle of being processed, Laven reported.

Anyone with information on the shooter should call Columbus police at (614) 645-4730 or Crime Stoppers at (614) 645-TIPS. Anyone who sees the shooter is asked to call 911.

The Fraternal Order of Police, Capital City Lodge No. 9 has established a fund for Hurst's family. Donations should be made to the Officer Bryan Hurst Memorial Fund and can be sent or delivered to any Fifth-Third bank in Central Ohio. All donations will be sent directly to Hurst's family, according to the FOP.

That sucks
RIP officer.


I hope they cap the bastard that did it.

Quoted: That sucks RIP officer. I hope they cap the bastard that did it.

+1

I  hope they find the scumbag that did it... and string him up by his balls.

my thoughts and prays go out to his wife and daughter.




as for the murdering p.o.s. he can never receive what he deserves. i just hope it is not quick and painless.

Columbus cop at that.  He did tag the bastard that did it before he fled the scene though.

Regrets to the officer's family. Sounds like he went out protecting others.

While sad, it brings up a question in my mind. The perp in this instance is described as in his 20's. Where does one learn tactical shooting at that age, or is this guy just lucky? Honestly in a pressure environment like that I'm unsure whether I could aim well. This guy has probably shot his gun what, a couple dozen times, with different cheap ammo each time?

Or if it was a case of the officer presenting controlled fire vs. the perp's spray and pray, while not wait until the perp was vulnerable and away from civilians?

Don't misunderstand, I feel badly for the officer and his family. I'm just trying to understand how the robber got a jump on him.

Quoted: Regrets to the officer's family. Sounds like he went out protecting others. While sad, it brings up a question in my mind. The perp in this instance is described as in his 20's. Where does one learn tactical shooting at that age, or is this guy just lucky? Honestly in a pressure environment like that I'm unsure whether I could aim well. This guy has probably shot his gun what, a couple dozen times, with different cheap ammo each time? Or if it was a case of the officer presenting controlled fire vs. the perp's spray and pray, while not wait until the perp was vulnerable and away from civilians? Don't misunderstand, I feel badly for the officer and his family. I'm just trying to understand how the robber got a jump on him.

Because action beats reaction.

The officer is in uniform and clearly identifiable as an officer. The bank robber isn't identifiable as such until he makes an overt action.

For the 160 degrees that you are looking, there's 200 degress where you aren't looking.

Officer Hurst got off 5 rounds and is believed to have hit the criminal at least once, maybe twice.  I don't know how many rounds the criminal fired, but from outside the bank I could see a few impacts in the ceiling and high on walls that were definitely fired by the criminal, due to where they were.  Bryan was hit once, just above his vest.  I think it was just terrible luck.  No skill on the criminal's part.  He remains at large as of this writing.  We hope he bled to death.

Bryan served in the Marine Corps as an MP before getting on the department.  He always showed the highest integrity and courage.  He was hilarious.  He didn't care what anyone thought of him, and you couldn't help but like him.

Semper Fi.

Godspeed to the officer

Also, I don't even play a pistolero on TV but, I would imagine that, along with the fact that he was in a close-quarters gun-fight the young officer had to try and stay aware of the innocents all around him while perp-boy, however ill-trained, got the freedom to bang away at HIS threat and to hell with whatever (Or WHOEVER) might be in the background.

Deepest sympathies to the family left behind.  Totally senseless.    When this happens, how is the family taken care of?  Do they receive some sort of a pension? Or is it like any other job, and it's whatever you have you have earned up to that point plus life insurance?

Damn.  6 month old little girl, who will not be able to remember her father because of this douchebag.

Slain Officer Honored As Gunman Search Continues
Hurst Was Shot, Killed Inside Bank

POSTED: 4:20 p.m. EST January 7, 2005
UPDATED: 11:50 p.m. EST January 7, 2005


Story by nbc4i.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A tireless search for a man who shot and killed a Columbus police officer Thursday paused long enough Friday for a heartfelt tribute to a fallen comrade, NBC 4's Mike Bowersock reported.


A special tribute was held at noon Friday for Officer Bryan Hurst, who was shot and killed during a gunfight with a man who attempted to rob the Fifth-Third Bank on East Broad Street, near McNaughten Road. Hurst was working special duty at the bank when a man in a ski mask tried to rob it.

Meanwhile, new surveillance photos of a man who police wanted to question were released Friday evening. They were taken at the same bank Tuesday. The man came forward, and police ruled him out in the investigation.

At noon Friday, police sirens pierced the air while officers stood and saluted in silence. Traffic came to a standstill at Broad and High streets. At the bank where the shooting occurred, officers lined up to show respect for a fallen brother-in-arms.


The moment was particularly hard for Officer Rob Segle, who was one of Hurst's friends. Because of an apparent scheduling mistake, he and Hurst both showed up Thursday for the special duty assignment at the bank. Only one could stay. They decided that Hurst would work the shift and Segle left.

A training class was going on to the left of the entrance as the robber walked in at about 10:35 a.m. There were five or six trainees standing together, and that played a key role in what happened next, Bowersock reported.


Hurst was standing at the south end of the teller counter and had a clear shot at the robber, but that would have put the training class in the firing line, Bowersock reported. If Hurst missed or a bullet went through the robber, one of the trainees could have been hit.

Hurst moved toward the center of the counter, giving up a wall he could have used for cover, Bowersock reported. That gave him more of a direct shot, and got the training class out of the line of fire. It also put him in the open, Bowersock reported.

In an enhanced surveillance photo, it is believed that the robber is firing his gun. It is pointing straight ahead. At that point, Hurst and the robber are about 5 to 10 feet apart. That's when Hurst was shot. He managed to get a shot off at the shooter through the counter as he went down, Bowersock reported.

In another enhanced photo, the shooter appears to be hit and shoots at random to his right. In the next photo, he slumps over the counter.


In a 911 call, an office worker in the basement described what she heard.

Caller: I'm downstairs in the basement.

911 Operator: How many did you hear?


Caller: Seven, probably, or more.

At that point, the shooter crashed headfirst through the front glass door and ran out of the bank.

Police searched for the shooter throughout the day, but did not find the gunman. The investigation continued Friday.

"We continue to do interviews," said spokeswoman Sherry Mercurio. "We continue to look in the area, we continue to re-interview witnesses and try to gather as much information as we can, follow up on the leads that came in yesterday. The leads continue to come in. We try to follow up on every lead we have."

The shooter was described as black, in his 20s, and 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall. He was wearing an oversized black jacket with one red sleeve. He was wearing white shoes with a dark stripe down the middle. He also had a shoulder bag and possibly a backpack. He is considered to be armed and dangerous.

Besides possibly being shot, the shooter also might have been cut on his face by glass as he exited the bank.

Sgt. Brent Mull said investigators have linked the shooter to another bank robbery. Investigators said they have evidence that the man also robbed the Sky Bank on Bethel Road on Sept. 8, 2004.


That crime also was a "takeover" style of robbery, as the robber ordered everyone to the floor. The robber then went behind the counter, removed money from the drawers and placed it into a bag. In that robbery, the man's gun fired, narrowly missing a bank employee. That robber had nearly the exact same description as the shooter in Thursday's attempted robbery.

Hurst, 33, was an officer for eight years, a husband for two years and a father for six months, NBC 4's Monique Ming Laven reported.

Anyone with information on the shooter should call Columbus police at (614) 645-4730 or Crime Stoppers at (614) 645-TIPS. Anyone who sees the shooter is asked to call 911.

The Fraternal Order of Police, Capital City Lodge No. 9, has established a fund for Hurst's family. Donations should be made to the Officer Bryan Hurst Memorial Fund and can be sent or delivered to any Fifth-Third Bank in Central Ohio. All donations will be sent directly to Hurst's family, according to the FOP.

Update:

Suspect In Officer's Death Captured In Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The man who police identified as a suspect in a police officer's shooting death was captured Sunday morning, NBC 4 reported.

Daryl Martez Lawrence was taken into custody at about 9:30 a.m. inside a home in the 900 block of East 21st Avenue, NBC 4's Barbra Flannigan reported.

On Saturday, Lawrence, 29, was named the suspect in Columbus police Officer Bryan Hurst's shooting death. Hurst was killed Thursday morning during a robbery at an east Columbus bank.

Hurst, 33, was working special duty at Fifth-Third Bank, located on East Broad Street, near McNaughten Road, when a man in a ski mask tried to rob it. Authorities said that the robber was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with the officer.

Police said that Lawrence checked himself in to a Washington, D.C., hospital Friday and told workers that he was the victim of a robbery and suffered a gunshot wound. A police officer was summoned to the hospital and took a report. As the officer was verifying the claim filed, Lawrence fled the hospital, police said.

Authorities said they found discrepancies in Lawrence's statements during his visit to Howard University Hospital.

Police in Washington charged Lawrence on Saturday with filing a false police report. Hours later, the FBI filed an arrest warrant for Lawrence on a federal bank robbery charge, NBC 4 reported.

Columbus police distributed fliers with Lawrence's photo, physical description and the vehicle he could have been driving. They did not say how they connected Lawrence to Hurst's shooting death.

"We consider this man armed and dangerous," Columbus police Sgt. Brent Mull said.

A training class was going on to the left of the entrance as the robber walked in the bank at about 10:35 a.m. There were five or six trainees standing together, and that played a key role in what happened next, NBC 4's Mike Bowersock reported.

Hurst was standing at the south end of the teller counter and had a clear shot at the robber, but that would have put the training class in the firing line, Bowersock reported. If Hurst missed or a bullet went through the robber, one of the trainees could have been hit.

Hurst moved toward the center of the counter, giving up a wall he could have used for cover, Bowersock reported. That gave him more of a direct shot, and got the training class out of the line of fire. It also put him in the open, Bowersock reported.

Based on an enhanced surveillance photo, it is believed that the robber fired his gun. It was pointing straight ahead. At that point, Hurst and the robber were about 5 to 10 feet apart. That's when Hurst was shot. He managed to get a shot off at the shooter through the counter as he went down, Bowersock reported.

Besides possibly being shot, the shooter also might have been cut on his face by glass as he exited the bank.

Mull said investigators have linked the shooter to another bank robbery. Investigators said they have evidence that the man also robbed the Sky Bank on Bethel Road on Sept. 8, 2004.

That crime also was a "takeover" style of robbery, as the robber ordered everyone to the floor. The robber then went behind the counter, removed money from the drawers and placed it into a bag. In that robbery, the man's gun fired, narrowly missing a bank employee. That robber had nearly the same description as the shooter in Thursday's attempted robbery.

Hurst was an officer for eight years, a husband for two years and a father for six months, NBC 4's Monique Ming Laven reported.

The Fraternal Order of Police, Capital City Lodge No. 9, has established a fund for Hurst's family. Donations should be made to the Officer Bryan Hurst Memorial Fund and can be sent or delivered to any Fifth-Third Bank in Central Ohio. All donations will be sent directly to Hurst's family, according to the FOP.

Does Ohio fry assholes like that?

My thoughts and prayers are with this officer's family.

Quoted: Does Ohio fry assholes like that?

Yep!

Man, that's just absolutely horrible. My daughter and I will say a prayer for this man and his family tonight before bed.  We are all lesser for the loss.

Gee... where's the "JBT" crowd to try to beat the "he had it coming" drum?

Condolences for a lost brother.

A 6 month old daughter

Updated: January 10th, 2005 02:38:06 PM

Police Capture Suspect in Ohio Officer's Death

............  

Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Police said the suspect in the shooting death of a police officer during an attempted bank robbery offered no resistance when arrested at the home of a girlfriend.

Officers who responded to a domestic disturbance complaint at the home of Tamara Gunnell on Sunday morning recognized Daryl Martez Lawrence, 29, police said. Lawrence gave up without a fight, Deputy Chief Stephen Gammill said.

Police said Lawrence, 29, was cooperating with investigators, but declined to answer questions.

Authorities identified Lawrence as a suspect on Saturday. Lawrence fled a Washington, D.C., hospital on Friday while a police officer checked his story that he needed treatment because he was shot during a robbery, Columbus police said.

Police haven't said how they determined Lawrence is a suspect in Thursday's shooting of officer Bryan Hurst, 33, killed while working off duty as a guard at a bank.

Lawrence remained under police guard at Grant Medical Center and was expected to be charged in the shooting when he was released. Not charging a suspect until he is discharged keeps the city from paying a suspect's hospital bills, police have said.

A hospital spokesman said Lawrence was in stable condition. He reportedly is missing at least one finger as a result of a gunshot.