Ex-officer found guilty of shooting Andre Hill

A former police officer was convicted of murder on Monday Andrew Hilla black man who had a cell phone and keys in his hand when he was killed.

Officer Adam Coy, who served with the Columbus Police Department for nearly 20 years, shot Hill four times in a garage nearly four years ago. Coy, who is white, was fired after the shooting. He told jurors he believed Hill was holding a silver revolver, which turned out to be a key.

“I thought I was going to die,” he testified. It wasn't until he rolled over Hill's body and saw the keys that he realized there was no gun, Coy said through tears. “I knew at that point I had made a mistake. I was horrified.”

Coy, who was partially unseen by his grim-faced lawyers, did not visibly react to the verdict, but muffled screams could be heard in the courtroom as it was announced. The public prosecutor's office called for the former official to be convicted immediately. Franklin County Judge Stephen McIntosh instead set the sentencing date for Nov. 25.

Coy, who is undergoing cancer treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma, was devastated, said defense attorney Mark Collins, who shook his head slightly as the verdict was read and later vowed to appeal.

Police body camera footage showed Hill emerging from the garage of a friend's home with a cellphone in his left hand seconds before he was fatally shot by Coy, his right hand not visible. Nearly 10 minutes passed before officers on scene began helping Hill, who lay bleeding on the garage floor. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Weeks after the shooting in December 2020, the mayor said forced the police chief out after a series of fatal police shootings of black men and children. Columbus later reached a $10 million settlement with Hill's family, the largest in the city's history. The Columbus City Council also passed Andre's Law, which requires police officers to provide immediate medical aid to an injured suspect.

Prosecutors said Hill, 47, followed the officer's commands and was never a threat to Coy, who now faces at least 15 years in prison. The jury also found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter and grievous bodily harm.

“We're taught, 'Do what the police tell you and you can survive this encounter,'” Franklin County Assistant Prosecutor Anthony Pierson said during closing arguments. “That didn’t happen here.”

Shawna Barnett, one of Hill's sisters, hoped the jury's decision would be a sign that police violence will not be tolerated.

“It’s been far too long, but I’m glad it’s over,” she said. “It's time to stop. It’s time to make everything fair.”

Brian Steel, president of the Columbus police union, said he was shocked by the murder conviction and said it will have far-reaching implications for officers in Ohio and beyond.

“Your split-second decision can now lead to murder,” he said. “It’s absolutely crazy.”

“Officers are willing to die for their community, they are willing to die for this job,” Steel said. “You don’t want to go to jail for this job.”

The officer's attorneys argued that Hill's lack of a weapon didn't matter because Coy believed his life was in danger. “He wasn't reckless, he was sensible,” Collins said during the trial.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented Hill's family, said the verdict shows that no one is above the law and sent a message that “accountability in law enforcement is not optional.”

“Andre was an unarmed, innocent man, and his life was taken without regard to his duty to protect and serve,” Crump said in a statement.

Coy had gone to the neighborhood to investigate a complaint about someone in a moving vehicle when he first encountered Hill in an SUV. Hill told Coy that he was waiting for a friend to come outside.

The officer said he thought Hill appeared distant and then suspicious after Hill went to a house and knocked on the door before entering the garage.

Coy said he lost sight of Hill and suspected he might be trying to break into the house. Coy used a flashlight to spot Hill in the garage and asked him to come out, the officer testified.

As Hill approached him, Coy said he couldn't see the man's right hand and then saw what he thought was a revolver. He said he yelled, “Gun! Pistol!” and then shot Hill.

Family and friends said Hill – a father and grandfather – devoted himself to his family He was a skilled craftsman who dreamed of one day owning his own restaurant after years of working as a chef and restaurant manager.

Coy had one long history of complaints More than three dozen charges have been filed against him since he joined the department in 2002, according to his personnel file. A dozen of the complaints involved use of force. All but a few were deemed “unfounded” or “not sustained.”