Andre Hill.Photo: Facebook
The former Columbus, Ohio, policeman who allegedly fatally shot an unarmed Black man in December has been charged with murder and other felonies related to the incident.
When officers arrived, they noticed an open garage door and a man inside. As cops approached the garage, Hill emerged, holding a cell phone in his left hand. His right hand was not visible.
Within seconds, police say Coy had shot Hill multiple times. It’s unclear whether Hill and Coy spoke to each other, because Coy failed to activate his body camera until after he shot Hill. Still, the camera automatically activated and recorded 60 seconds of the episode – but no audio was saved.
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The post-shooting body camera footage allegedly showed officers handcuffing an apparently lifeless Hill, and then standing around for five minutes and 11 seconds without rendering first aid. Hill was later taken to the hospital, where he died an hour later.
Officers later learned that the garage belonged to one of Hill’s friends.
Shortly after the shooting, Coy wasfiredfrom his job. At the time, Columbus Safety Director Ned Pettus, Jr., said that “the actions of Adam Coy do not live up to the oath of a Columbus Police officer, or the standards we, and the community, demand of our officers.”
CNN reports that Coy’s attorneys, Mark C. Collins and Kaitlyn C. Stephens, issued a statement on the indictment saying, “The grand jury only hears what the prosecuting attorney wants them to hear. There is no judge. There are no rules.”
The statement continued: “The grand jury’s function is singular – to determine if there is probable cause to indict. This is a much different and more importantly, much lower standard than what the State of Ohio will have to prove come trial.”
According to the attorneys, Coy will plead not guilty and request “a reasonable bond at the arraignment.”
source: people.com
