On Monday, a former police officer was found guilty of murder for the shooting of Andre Hill, a Black man who was simply holding a cellphone and some keys when he was killed. Officer Adam Coy, who had been with the Columbus police for almost two decades, shot Hill four times in a garage nearly four years ago.
After the incident, Coy, who is white, lost his job. He told the jury that he believed Hill was armed with a silver revolver, but it turned out to be just keys. He testified that he felt like his life was in danger at that moment. It wasn’t until he rolled over Hill’s body and saw the keys that he understood there wasn’t any gun involved.
Tearfully, Coy admitted, I knew at that point I made a mistake. I was horrified. Although his lawyers were visibly serious during the proceedings and blocked some of his view, Coy didn’t show much emotion when the verdict came down; however, there were muffled cries from others in the courtroom upon hearing it.
The prosecutors requested immediate sentencing for Coy, but Franklin County Judge Stephen McIntosh scheduled it for November 25 instead. According to defense attorney Mark Collins—who shook his head slightly when they announced the verdict—Coy is currently undergoing treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma and took the news hard; they plan to appeal.
Body camera footage captured Hill emerging from a friend’s garage with a cellphone in one hand while his other hand remained out of sight just seconds before Coy shot him fatally. It took nearly ten minutes before officers on scene began to help Hill as he lay bleeding on the garage floor; sadly, he was pronounced dead later at a hospital.
Following this tragic event in December 2020, Columbus’ mayor dismissed the police chief after several fatal shootings involving Black men and children by officers occurred within weeks of each other. The city eventually reached an unprecedented $10 million settlement with Hill’s family—the largest ever—and also passed Andre’s Law, which mandates that police officers provide immediate medical assistance to injured suspects.
Prosecutors stated that 47-year-old Hill had complied with the officer’s orders and posed no threat to Coy, who is now looking at a minimum of 15 years behind bars. The jury also convicted him of reckless homicide and felonious assault. During closing arguments, Franklin County assistant prosecutor Anthony Pierson emphasized that we are taught to follow police instructions to ensure our safety, but that didn’t happen in this case.
Shawna Barnett, one of Hill’s sisters, expressed hope that the jury’s verdict would send a clear message against police violence. “It’s been way too long coming, but I’m relieved it’s finally over,” she said. “We need to stop this; it’s time for fairness.”
Brian Steel, president of the Columbus police union, was taken aback by the murder conviction and warned it could have serious consequences for officers across Ohio and beyond.
He pointed out how a split-second decision could now lead to murder charges—“It’s absolutely insane,” he remarked. Officers are ready to risk their lives for their communities and their jobs but don’t want to face prison as a result.
The defense argued that even though Hill wasn’t armed, Coy believed his life was at risk. Collins, one of the attorneys for the officer, insisted that Coy acted reasonably rather than recklessly during the incident. Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represents Hill’s family, said this verdict reinforces that no one is above the law and highlights the necessity for accountability in law enforcement.
“Andre was an unarmed innocent man whose life was taken without regard for their duty to protect and serve,” Crump stated.
Coy had gone into Hill’s neighborhood responding to a report about someone inside a running vehicle when he first spotted Hill sitting in an SUV. When Coy approached him, Hill explained he was waiting for a friend outside.
The officer felt that Hill appeared dismissive and eventually suspicious when he saw him walk up to a house and knock on its door before heading into the garage. After losing sight of him briefly, Coy grew concerned that Hill might be attempting a break-in; using his flashlight to locate him in the garage, he instructed Hill to come out as testified by Coy himself.
As Hill approached him, Coy noticed he couldn’t see the man’s right hand and thought he spotted what looked like a revolver. He shouted, “Gun! Gun!” before shooting at Hill.
Family and friends described Hill as a dedicated father and grandfather who truly cherished his loved ones. He was also a talented tradesman with aspirations of someday opening his own restaurant after years of experience as a chef and manager.
On the other hand, Coy has quite the history when it comes to complaints from residents—over thirty-six have been filed against him since he started with the department in 2002, according to his personnel records. Out of those, about a dozen were related to excessive use of force, but most were either deemed unfounded or not sustained.