Adam Coy, the former Columbus police officer charged in the 2020 shooting death of unarmed Black man Andre Hill, was on Monday convicted of his killing. Per CNN, Hill was in a garage when Coy, who is White, shot him four times.
The deceased Black man was holding a cell phone and keys when Coy opened fire on him. During his trial, Coy testified that he initially suspected Hill, 47, was in possession of a gun.
“I thought I was going to die,” he told the jurors. After shooting Hill, Coy noticed the deceased Black man was actually unarmed when he turned his body. “I knew at that point I made a mistake. I was horrified,” the former police officer said.
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Coy’s sentencing date was set for November 25 by Franklin County Judge Stephen McIntosh. Prosecutors had, however, wanted him to be immediately sentenced following his conviction.
The fatal shooting was captured on police body camera footage. Hill was said to be inside his friend’s garage when Coy shot and killed him. The former police officer went to the area to respond to a report about an individual spotted in a vehicle with the engine on.
Coy is said to have spoken with Hill before the shooting, and the deceased Black man told the former police officer that he was waiting for his friend, CNN reported. But Coy claimed that Hill was not cooperative and he suspected the deceased 47-year-old was attempting to force his way into the home.
Following the shooting, Hill was not immediately given medical aid by the responding officers. That happened after nearly ten minutes. Hill was later taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Prosecutors said Hill was compliant during his encounter with Coy, adding that the deceased victim did not pose a threat. “We’re taught do what the cops tell you to do and you can survive that encounter,” Franklin County assistant prosecutor Anthony Pierson told the court. “That’s not what happened here.”
Coy’s conviction comes after the city of Columbus reached a record $10 million settlement with Hill’s family, Face2Face Africa reported in 2021. In the wake of the shooting, the Columbus City Council voted to pass Andre’s Law. The law mandates police officers to give medical aid to suspects who are injured.
