A former Ohio police officer convicted of murder in the shooting of Andre Hill, a Black man who was holding a cellphone and keys when he was killed, was handed a mandatory sentence on Monday of 15 years to life.
Former Columbus police officer Adam Coy shot Hill four times in a garage in December 2020, among nationwide outrage against the police killings of Black men in the wake of George Floyd's death in the custody of a Minneapolis police officer. Coy He told jurors that he feared for his life because he thought Hill was holding a silver revolver.
'I Made a Mistake'
"I knew at that point I made a mistake," Coy told jurors in October 2024. "I was horrified. It was the worst night of my life." He was found guilty of murder in November.
Coy, who is being treated for Hodgkin lymphoma, told the court Monday he plans to appeal the verdict. I feel my actions were justified, Coy said. I reacted the same way I had in hundreds of training scenarios. I drew and fired my weapon to stop a threat, protect myself and my partner."
Bodycam Footage
According to prosecutors, Hill followed police commands and was never a threat to Coy. Police body camera footage showed Hill coming out of the garage of a friend's house holding up a cellphone in his left hand, his right hand not visible, seconds before he was fatally shot.
Coy and another officer had responded to a neighbour's non-emergency call after 1am on December 22 about a car in front of his house in the city's northwest that had been running, then shut off, then turned back on, according to a copy of the call released in December.
Police bodycam footage showed Hill emerging from a garage and holding up a cellphone in his left hand seconds before he was fatally shot by Coy.
In the moments after Hill was fatally shot, additional bodycam footage shows two other Columbus officers rolled Hill over and put handcuffs on him before leaving him alone again. Almost 10 minutes passed before officers at the scene rendered aid as Hill laid on the garage floor, groaning and bleeding out.
Coy Had a Long History of Cs from Citizens
Coy had a long history of complaints from citizens. He was fired on December 28 for failing to activate his body camera before the confrontation and for not providing medical aid to Hill.
Weeks later, the mayor forced out the police chief after a series of fatal police shootings of Black people. Columbus later reached a $10 million settlement with Hill's family, and the city passed a law requiring police to give immediate medical attention to injured suspects.
