Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Wednesday the grand jury’s decision to indict Adam Coy—former Columbus Police Officer—for the shooting and subsequent death of Andre Hill.
On December 22 Coy and another officer responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle. As he approached the residence where the vehicle was located he came across Andre Hill, an unarmed Black man. Coy thought he saw a weapon in Hill’s hand, so he fired at Hill. Coy struck Hill four times, causing Hill’s death.
The Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) investigated the incident, interviewing witnesses, reviewing body cameras and analyzing cyber data. The BCI found that Coy failed to activate his camera before the interaction began or inform his fellow officer of his suspicion of danger. The BCI provided its findings to the Attorney General’s Special Prosecution Division for review. Anthony Pierson of the Special Prosecution Division then presented the case to the grand jury.
The grand jury indicted Coy on four charges: (1) murder in the commission of a felony, (2) felonious assault, (3) dereliction of duty for failure to engage his body camera, and (4) dereliction of duty for failure to inform his fellow officer of his belief that Hill presented a danger. Overall, Yost anticipates Coy will have his first hearing soon on the above charges.