A former Columbus police officer who fatally shot a black man in December has been arrested and charged with murder, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Wednesday.
Former officer Adam Coy, a 19-year-old veteran, has also been charged with criminal assault and two counts of misconduct. He was released several weeks after the shooting.
Mr. Coy shot Andre Hill, 47, after responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle. When he and another officer arrived on the scene, Mr. Coy mnr. Hill was found in a garage and set on fire within seconds. Mr. Hill, who was holding a cell phone, died shortly afterwards in a hospital.
Mr. Yost said his office acted as a special prosecutor in the case, reviewing evidence, questioning witnesses and submitting complaints to a grand jury. The grand jury heard Mr. Coy, who was arrested Wednesday, charged.
“The great virtue of law enforcement is diminished by the few bad actors in its ranks, and only by holding a bad actor accountable can that virtue be sustained,” he said. Yost said at a news conference. “This is what I mean in ordinary English: the same rules for everyone.”
The failure of duty costs, Mr. Yost said, stems from the fact that Mr. Coy only activated his body camera after the shooting and that he could not tell the other officer at the scene that he had Mr. Hill is not considered a threat. .
However, the shooting was captured on video because the body camera that Mr. Coy wore was equipped with a feature that captures the 60 seconds immediately before the camera is turned on. The camera did not capture any sound during the first minute, so no verbal exchange was recorded before the gunfire.
Mr. Coy will appear during a bail hearing on Thursday.
“Truth is the best friend of justice, and the grand jury here has found the truth,” he said. Yost said. “Andre Hill must not be dead.”
This is an evolving story and will be updated.