A Columbus police officer has been fired over the deadly shooting of a Black man in a state that has triggered a national outcry, the city’s director of public safety announced Monday.
What We Know:
- The decision to let go of Adam Coy, who was recognized by officers as the police officer who shot and killed 47-year-old Andre Hill last week, comes after the city’s police chief described the shooting as “horrific” and suggested Coy’s dismissal.
- Two days after the shooting incident, Thomas Quinlan, Columbus Police Chief, announced that he was taking action to fire Coy by urging his termination to Pettus.
“Monday morning I held a disciplinary hearing for Columbus Police Officer Adam Coy. I am upholding Chief Quinlan’s recommendation to terminate Mr. Coy,” Columbus Public Safety Director Ned Pettus Jr. said in a statement, adding; “The actions of Adam Coy do not live up to the oath of a Columbus Police officer, or the standards we, and the community, the demand of our officers.”
- Authorities said the shooting happened after a neighbor reported that a person was turning the SUV engine on and off around 1:30 a.m. Body camera footage from the scene revealed Coy was exiting his vehicle and nearing Hill, who was standing inside a garage.
- As Hill walked toward the officer holding his cellphone, Coy discharged his weapon. Hill quickly fell to the ground as Coy shouted demands for him to show his hands.
- The video did not show Coy, giving CPR or other medical care. Hill later died of his injuries. A preliminary autopsy report released Monday determined Hill’s death a homicide and said he died of multiple gunshot wounds.
- The city’s mayor stated that Hill was an expected guest at the residence and was not an intruder after the shooting. The mayor also noted that Coy did not turn on his body camera until after the shooting happened. Still, he mentioned that a 60-second automatic “look back” feature captured the incident without sound.
- Quinlan stated that after investigating Coy’s use of deadly force, his failure to turn on his body camera, and his failure to provide aid to Hill, he chose to avoid the typical step of granting Coy a hearing. He announced the firing, writing in a statement that “This is what accountability looks like.” He added that Coy “will now have to answer to the state investigators for the death of Andre Hill.”
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting. Quinlan also noted that additional officers involved in the incident would be investigated for potentially failing to activate their body cameras or to give aid to Hill.
