The Columbus, Ohio police officer who shot and killed an unarmed Black man, 47-year-old Andre Hill, who had emerged from a garage showing the officers the glowing screen of his cell phone, has been fired, the Associated Press report.
Early Tuesday morning, Adam Coy, who is white, and his partner responded to a neighbor’s non-emergency call about a car blocking his driveway and which had been repeatedly starting and shutting off. It is unclear if Hill was associated with the car or was coming out of the neighbor’s garage.
Columbus Public Safety Director Ned Pettus Jr. announced Coy’s firing for shooting Hill and for also turning off his body camera while on the call. Coy turned on the body cam after the shooting, but the system’s automatic “look back” function allowed investigators to recover one minute of video before Coy turned his camera on.
Coy also refused to render first aid to Hill for several minutes after the shooting according to the video, another violation of police procedure.
“The information, evidence and representations made by Chief (Thomas) Quinlan as the investigator are, in my opinion, indisputable. His disciplinary recommendation is well-supported and appropriate,” Pettus said. “The actions of Adam Coy do not live up to the oath of a Columbus Police officer, or the standards we, and the community, demand of our officers.”
Coy did not attend today’s investigative hearing, after which he was fired. He was represented by members of the Fraternal Order of Police. He faces charges from the Columbus Police Department as well as the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and potential federal civil rights charges.