The Ohio police officer who shot and killed an unarmed Black man within seconds of seeing him was on Wednesday arrested and indicted for murder in a rare instance of prosecutors charging members of law enforcement for deadly on-duty shootings. Former Columbus Police Officer Adam Coy, a 17-year veteran who was fired following the shooting of Andre Hill in late December, was charged with murder, felonious assault and dereliction of duty for failure to inform his fellow officer that he felt threatened.
Hill was all but executed when Coy saw the 47-year-old emerge from a home’s garage holding a glowing cellphone during the early morning hours of Dec. 22. Coy, who mistook the phone for a gun, shot Hill nearly on sight and then failed to render any medical aid to him in the crucial minutes after the shooting.
Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney representing Hill’s family, applauded the decision to indict Coy.
“We are encouraged by the decision of the grand jury to hold Office Coy accountable for his reckless action, resulting in the tragic death of Andre Hill,” Crump said in a statement sent to NewsOne. “Officer Coy claimed, ‘there’s a gun in his other hand,’ while Andre clearly held a phone. Though nothing will bring back Andre’s life and relieve his family’s grief, this is an important step toward justice.”
Hill laid on the ground for about 10 minutes before officers attempted chest compressions. The officers at the scene were prompted to do so by a supervising officer who inquired if any aid was given to Hill. He was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Coy was fired on Dec. 28. He and his partner were reprimanded for turning their cameras off prior to the shooting, then switching them on directly after the shooting. Initial footage of the shooting was captured from Coy’s camera using a “look back” feature which recorded about 60 seconds of footage without any audio prior to the time the camera was activated.
A preliminary autopsy revealed last week that Hill’s method of death is homicide.
Coy’s indictment was the latest fallout for the Hill’s killing that followed the fatal police shooting of Casey Goodson Jr., who was shot in the back in Columbus on Dec. 4 when cops purportedly mistook the sandwiches he was holding for a gun. Goodson was shot by officers who were investigating another incident as he entered his grandmother’s home.
The combination prompted the now-former Columbus police chief to get demoted last week.
Thomas Quinlan has been the chief of police since 2019 when he was chosen over Perry Tarrant, a former assistant police chief in Seattle, who is Black.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther announced he would move forward with appointing members to the city’s first Civilian Review Board, which will oversee the police department. The board was created after community members passed the votes in November.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation. Ginther asked U.S. Attorney Dave DeVillers to review the case for civil rights violations.
JUSTICE FOR MCHALE ROSE! Mchale was killed by 4 officers within hours of the killing of Dreasjon Reed. Because of this, his story has gotten clouded and we need awareness! Mchale was a personal friend of mine and the sweetest boy ever. He & his family deserve justice! pic.twitter.com/SutjQn4fjy
Xzavier Hill’s family deserves justice. Virginia laws do not require the VSP to release footage, nor to wear body cameras. He was 18, and his whole life was ahead of him.
An attorney who has represented the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor says he is now working for the family of Andre’ Hill, the man killed by a Columbus police officer early Tuesday.https://t.co/9yXaqYKHfu
Joshua Feast was fatally shot in the BACK by La Marque PD officer Jose Santos as he was running away, posing no threat. Witnesses report Santos refused to render aid to Joshua after shooting him AND then kicked his body, already debilitated by the bullet. #JusticeForJoshuaFeastpic.twitter.com/zO46PCsGzO
15. Marcellis Stinnette, teen killed by police in Waukegan, Illinois
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16. Jonathan Price
The Texas police officer who fatally shot Jonathan Price has been arrested and charged with murder. His bail has been set at 1 million dollars. I’m glad. RIP Jonathan, rest in power. pic.twitter.com/Mw5GMQX0Eb
The killing of Daniel Prude by Rochester police officers is unacceptable, and we need real answers for why this happened and why it took so long to come out.
Trained medical professionals should respond to mental health crises, not armed officers. pic.twitter.com/EPhH9inn1x
This is #DijonKizzee, 29 yrs old and shot and killed by LA Sheriffs after being stopped for a bike violation. Cops handcuffed his lifeless body. While police investigations can drag on for months/years, cops have already claimed he ran away, and dropped clothes and a gun. #BLMpic.twitter.com/pM6mQfWLeQ
in an attempt to disperse crowds, #DavidMcAtee, a louisville bbq chef known for serving cops free meals, was shot and killed by the police last night. he was unarmed. not only were the officers’ bodycams off, but they also left his body on the street for 12 hours. say his name. pic.twitter.com/kqOPku8iuQ
They murdered my cousin. How do you have someone in handcuffs and in a seat belt and shoot them multilpe times.All cops aren’t bad but those were. I will fight with the last breath in me for justice. William Green was a family man, a working man. Funny. Loving. Love and miss you. pic.twitter.com/PhM3a6C7uj
This is a 2019 mugshot of the murder suspect Cobb police shot & killed today. Samuel Mallard, 19, was previously arrested for impersonating officers a half dozen times. In the 2020 case, the GBI says he’s involved in a murder/robbery. CCPD says there are other suspects. @wsbtvhttps://t.co/7EfuVQLmNBpic.twitter.com/ttWg5HjFkj
Former Officer Robert Olsen killed Anthony Hill over four years ago and was finally convicted (not of murder). Will get get the Amber Guyger treatment? #AnthonyHillhttps://t.co/HZVf3tOEOL
Two lawyers representing the estate of 54-year-old Eric Logan, who was shot and killed by a South Bend police officer, have sued that officer, Sgt. Ryan O’Neill and Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
This is Jaquavion Slaton, the 20-year-old who was was shot & killed by Fort Worth Police on Sunday. Community demanding release of body camera video, but FWPD hasn’t said when/if that will happen. #WFAApic.twitter.com/iakQyWrRCl
Patrick Harmon was shot and killed by police in Salt Lake City, Utah. The district attorney says the shooting was “legally justified.” pic.twitter.com/zYBOwlTzRb