Joseph Haynes was 16 and from Columbus, Ohio when he was shot and killed inside Franklin County Juvenile Court on January 17, 2018. The shooting occurred during a struggle that involved Haynes, his mother and a Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy, Richard Scarborough. Court reporting says the deputy attempted to escort Haynes and his mother from the courtroom; family members tried to calm Haynes but the situation escalated, the deputy was knocked to the ground and, feeling threatened, fired his weapon. Haynes was struck in the abdomen and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. The deputy received treatment for injuries and was released from the hospital.

Accounts conflict about whether Haynes posed a significant threat. The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Franklin County; in September 2023 county commissioners approved a $6.5 million settlement reached in mediation. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was still conducting an investigation and a Franklin County grand jury was set to review the evidence. Does anyone have firsthand information about what happened in the courtroom that day?