Ex-police officer found guilty of Andre Hill murder
- Published
A former Ohio police officer who shot and killed a black man as he walked out of a garage four years ago in Columbus was found guilty of murder on Monday.
Adam Coy, who is white, faces life in prison for fatally shooting Andre Hill, 47, in December 2020.
Mr Hill had been carrying a mobile phone and keys when Coy shot him four times.
Coy, 48, told jurors he thought Mr Hill was holding a silver revolver.
"I thought I was going to die," he said, testifying he realised his mistake when he rolled over Mr Hill's body and saw there was no weapon.
"I knew at that point I made a mistake," he said. "I was horrified."
Coy had responded to a complaint about someone inside a running vehicle at about 01:30 in the morning when he first encountered Mr Hill, sitting inside an SUV.
The former officer said Mr Hill seemed dismissive, and that he was suspicious when Mr Hill went to a nearby house and knocked on the door, before entering through the garage. An investigation later found the house belonged to a friend of Mr Hill's.
Coy used a flashlight to spot Mr Hill in the garage and ordered him to come out.
Police body camera footage showed Mr Hill then come out of the garage holding a mobile phone in his left hand, his right hand not visible, seconds before he was gunned down by Coy. Almost 10 minutes went by before officers at the scene gave Mr Hill medical attention. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Prosecutors said Mr Hill followed the officer's orders and was never a threat to Coy.
"We're taught do what the cops tell you to do and you can survive the encounter," said prosecutor Anthony Pierson during closing arguments. "That's not what happened here."
Coy did not visibly react to the verdict, according to AP News. Franklin County Judge Stephen McIntosh set a sentencing date of 25 November.
Weeks after Mr Hill's shooting, the Columbus police chief resigned under mounting scrutiny over a series of fatal shootings of unarmed black men and children. The city later reached a $10m (£7.7m) settlement with Hill's family - the largest in its history.
The Columbus city council later passed Andre's Law, which requires police officers to provide immediate medical attention to an injured suspect.