Columbus police officer shot outside Southeast Side bar identified

Columbus police have identified an officer who was shot and wounded while working a special-duty assignment at a Southeast Side bar on Friday.

Officer Sontino Williams, a 19-year veteran of the division, was shot at Moments Grill and Lounge, 2545 Petzinger Road, just after midnight.

Williams radioed dispatchers to say he was wounded. Other officers responded and took Williams to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition and was expected to survive his injuries.

Dispatchers received calls about gunshots in the area around the time that Williams was shot, according to police. The bar and a car in the parking lot were struck by gunfire. No other injuries were reported.

Earlier this year, Williams shot an unarmed domestic-violence suspect on the Northeast Side. The man had run from police, hid and then made “an unexpected gesture with his right hand, causing Officer Williams to react,” according to a news release about the Feb. 24 shooting. Initial reports indicated that the man might have been armed.

Columbus police’s assault squad is investigating Friday’s shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 614-645-4545 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS.

bburger@dispatch.com

@ByBethBurger