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Horujko shot and killed 18-year-old Abdul Razak Ali Artan, an OSU student who drove his car on Nov. 28 into a group of pedestrians on the Columbus campus. Horujko has been hailed a hero after firing the shot that killed the Somali refugee wielding a butcher's knife.
Eleven people were transported to nearby hospitals — none of the injuries were life-threatening — and police, university, national and local officials have said if Horujko hadn’t acted, the number of victims would have been higher.
Many have already honored and praised Horujko, including the Ohio House in June, and on Aug. 14 his hometown will honor him. Vice Mayor Bill Woeste said "it's going to be a family celebration, if not a community celebration" as they continue to highlight "a positive news story."
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“We all here in Fairfield should be proud of him,” said Woeste. “I believe he has the heart of a lion. People who run into danger are a little different than the rest of us.”
Horujko joined the Ohio State University Police Department in January 2015 and was responding to an unrelated call when the car ran into a crowd of people. Horujko ordered Artan to drop the knife and shot after he didn’t comply, according to reports.
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Mayor Steve Miller will present the proclamation to Horujko.
“I think he showed an amazing amount of courage,” Miller said. “I think because of his efforts he saved a lot of other people from getting hurt or killed really.”
Woeste, who’s known Horujko since his Cub Scout days at Sacred Heart, said City Council intended to have the celebration in July but Horujko’s fiancee wasn’t available so they moved the event to the council’s August meeting.
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