Columbus reaches record-breaking $10 million settlement with family of Andre Hill who was shot dead by police officer as he emerged from friend's home holding a phone
Ohio's capital city has agreed to pay a $10 million settlement to the family of Andre Hill, an unarmed black man who was shot dead by a white Columbus police officer as he emerged from a garage holding a cellphone.
The settlement, which was announced on Friday, will be the largest of its kind in Columbus history. Columbus City Council is scheduled to vote on it on Monday.
Hill, 47, was fatally shot by police officer Adam Coy on December 22, 2020. Coy, a 19-year officer on the force, was fired and has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, felonious assault and reckless homicide.
Ohio's capital has agreed to pay Andre Hill's family a $10 million settlement, the largest of its kind in city history, stemming from his December 2020 killing at the hands of Columbus police officer Adam Coy: Pictured: Attorney Benjamin Crump, left, discusses the police shooting alongside Hill's daughter, Karissa, center, and sister Shawna Barnett, on December 31, 2020
Coy (left) was fired and has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, felonious assault and reckless homicide. Hill, 47 (right), was unarmed when he was shot to death
'We understand that because of this former officer's actions, the Hill family will never be whole,' Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said in a statement. 'No amount of money will ever bring Andre Hill back to his family, but we believe this is an important and necessary step in the right direction.'
As part of the settlement, a gym frequented by Hill will be renamed the Andre Hill Gymnasium.
Lawyers representing Hill's family praised the settlement and the gym renaming, saying in a statement: 'Now all those involved can begin to heal.'
Hill was visiting a family friend when he was shot shortly before 2am. Coy and another officer had responded to a neighbor's nonemergency complaint about someone stopping and starting a car outside.
'He was bringing me Christmas money. He didn´t do anything,' a woman inside the house shouted at police afterward.
Hill emerged from a friend's garage and was holding is cellphone when he was killed
According to the bodycam footage released (above), cops offered no first aid even though Hill was barely moving, groaning and bleeding while laying on the garage floor
Body camera footage showed it took Coy a mere six seconds to open fire.
The footage does not have audio because Coy did not turn his camera on until after he shot Hill.
According to police, this triggered a 'look back' feature on the camera that captures picture but not sound.
Coy, pictured in his mugshot, had a long history of complaints from citizens during his 19 years on the force
Video shows Coy shining a flashlight at Hill as he exits the garage holding a cellphone in his hand and begins walking towards the officer and his partner.
In the moments after Hill was fatally shot, additional bodycam footage shows two other Columbus officers roll Hill over and put handcuffs on him before leaving him alone again.
None of them, according to the footage released, offered any first aid even though Hill was barely moving, groaning and bleeding while laying on the garage floor.
Hill was rushed to Riverside Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Coy, whose personnel file contained at least three dozen complaints from citizens, was fired December 28 for failing to activate his body camera before the confrontation and for not providing medical aid to Hill.
Coy's attorney previously said his client 'honestly believed that he saw a silver revolver coming up in the right hand of the individual.' No gun was found at the scene.
Beyond an internal police investigation, the Ohio attorney general, the US. attorney for central Ohio and the FBI have begun their own probes into the shooting.
Coy's attorney said he 'honestly believed' Hill had a silver gun in his right hand
