Officer cleared for shooting, killing OSU attacker

Credit: Apple Cassidy

Credit: Apple Cassidy

An Ohio State University police officer with local ties has been cleared in the fatal shooting of a student who attacked and injured 13 people on campus with his car and knife.

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced a county grand jury’s decision today after the panel reviewed evidence, Columbus media reported.

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Officer Alan Horuijko, 2007 graduate of Fairfield High School in Butler County, previously was praised as a hero who saved lives. He shot and killed Abdul Razak Ali Artan in November after police said Artan drove into a crowd on the college campus, and then used a butcher knife to attack people.

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The attack suspect did an interview with OSU’s campus newspaper, The Lantern, in August, about his fear as a Muslim of praying on campus. Artan described himself as a third-year logistics management student and was interviewed on his first day on the OSU campus. He told Lantern reporter Kevin Stankewicz he was fearful of praying out in the open on such a large campus because of how the media portrayed Muslims.

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On Nov. 28, 2016, around 9:50 a.m., Artan drove his Honda Civic over a sidewalk near OSU’s Watts Hall striking as many as 10 pedestrians, some OSU students. He then used a butcher knife to stab some of the pedestrians. Horujiko shot and killed Artan approximately one minute later, OSU’s public safety director and prosecutors said.

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