A Columbus police officer strangled his girlfriend to death last week after an argument over a tip at a sushi restaurant in the North Star neighborhood, court records show.
Jacob Smith, 50, is charged with strangulation and unlawful possession of a firearm on a liquor establishment, according to the complaint filed in Delaware County Common Pleas Court. He was booked into the Delaware County Jail on February 28.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Columbus police were dispatched to a Burger King on Gemini Place around 9 p.m. on February 27 for a report of a person with a gun. Police arrived and spoke with the 911 caller, who said Smith was their boyfriend.
The victim said they went to Blue Sushi in Gemini Plaza for dinner and Smith was very drunk, according to the affidavit. The two reportedly got into an argument at the restaurant over the amount of the tip. As they left, the victim reached into Smith’s pants pocket for his car keys and discovered Smith’s handgun in the front of his waistband, the affidavit states.
As the victim drove away, with Smith in the passenger seat, Smith pulled a Glock 48 pistol from his waistband and pointed it at the victim’s head, records state. The victim was scared and pulled into the parking lot of a furniture store in Gemini Plaza, where Smith reportedly grabbed the victim by her hair and dragged the victim into the passenger seat, the affidavit states.
Smith placed a hand on the victim’s neck and squeezed until the victim lost consciousness, the affidavit states. After the victim regained consciousness, Smith placed his hands on the victim’s neck and squeezed, causing the victim to lose consciousness a second time, the indictment said. They both got out of the car and struggled on the ground, then Smith walked toward the Burger King and the victim called 911, records show.
Officers spotted Smith walking in the area and detained him. Records show Smith was in possession of a loaded Glock.
Columbus police Sgt. Joe Abbott said Smith was relieved of his duties in June 2024 pending a criminal investigation by another county. No criminal charges were filed. Smith was relieved of his duties following his arrest, Albert said.
During Monday’s arraignment, a prosecutor said Smith called his father from the Delaware County Jail. Prosecutors said Smith used a “thinly veiled code” on the call and asked his father to remove the guns from his residence so police wouldn’t confiscate them.
The judge set Smith’s bail at $225,000. Smith’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 10.