Former Police Officer Found Guilty in the Shooting Death of Andre Hill

Former Columbus, Ohio, police officer Adam Coy was found guilty of murder on Monday in the shooting death of Andre Hill, an unarmed Black man.

Coy, who was removed from his position in the Columbus Police Department shortly after the incident, faced charges of murder, reckless homicide and other offenses in which he was found guilty on Monday.

Andre Hill's Death

The verdict comes nearly four years after the December 2020 incident in which Hill, holding only a cellphone and car keys, was fatally shot four times in a garage.

Coy, a 19-year veteran of the Columbus Police Department, opened fire on Hill, 47, during a response to a non-emergency call. The body camera footage revealed Hill emerging from a friend's garage with his left hand raised, holding a cellphone. Coy, who is white, later claimed he believed Hill was armed with a silver revolver.

"I thought I was going to die," he testified.

It was only after he rolled over Hill's body and saw the keys that he realized there was no gun, Coy said.

"I knew at that point I made a mistake," Coy said. "I was horrified."

What the Trial Revealed

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Hill posed no threat and had complied with Coy's commands.

"We're taught do what the cops tell you to do and you can survive that encounter," Franklin County assistant prosecutor Anthony Pierson said during closing arguments. "That's not what happened here."

Coy's defense, however, claimed the ex-officer's actions were a response to perceived danger. "He wasn't reckless, he was reasonable," argued defense attorney Mark Collins, underscoring Coy's assertion that he feared for his life.

Calls for Accountability From the Public

Coy had a history of complaints with more than three dozen filed against him since he joined the department in 2002, according to his personnel file. A dozen of the complaints were related to use of force and all but a few were marked "unfounded" or "not sustained."

In addition, the footage, which showed officers at the scene delaying medical assistance for nearly ten minutes, sparked widespread outrage and demands for accountability. Hill was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting at a local hospital.

Following Hill's death, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther urged Police Chief Thomas Quinlan to step down amid public outrage over a series of police-involved deaths of Black individuals in the city.

The City of Columbus also reached a historic $10 million settlement with Hill's family, marking the largest payout in the city's history. Moreover, the Columbus City Council passed "Andre's Law," mandating that officers provide immediate medical aid to injured suspects.

Hill, a father and grandfather, was remembered by his family and friends as a skilled tradesman and aspiring restaurateur, who had spent years working as a chef and restaurant manager.

Meanwhile, the verdict against Coy has underscored broader issues surrounding policing in the United States, particularly with respect to racial bias and excessive use of force.

The former officer now faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, potentially marking a turning point in Columbus's efforts to address systemic issues within its police department.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.