A shocking video from the camera shows a policeman in Columbus, Ohio, shooting an unarmed black man holding a cell phone – opening fire just 10 seconds after finding him.
Columbus policeman Adam Coy was dispatched around 1:30 am on Tuesday for a non-emergency call about a man who was stopping a car, starting and stopping it several times in the Cranbrook neighborhood.
Shortly after the police arrived, a black man later identified as Andre Maurice Hill, 47, who had been inside a garage, approached them on foot, holding a phone in his left hand and the other invisible hand.
Images from Coy’s body camera showed him opening fire on Hill, just six seconds after Hill entered the scene.
No audio is available, as Coy did not activate his body camera until after the shoot, which only captured video due to an automatic “look back” feature.
Without audio, it is not clear whether Coy shouted a command to Hill.
Hill’s right hand is not visible in the footage, but officials said no weapons were recovered from the scene.
After being shot, Hill lay on the floor for several minutes with no police on site offering help. He died less than an hour later at a nearby hospital.
In a statement, police chief Thomas Quinlan called this “a tragedy on many levels. Most importantly, a life was lost. “
Quinlan said he suspended Coy, a 17-year-old veteran, demanding that he hand over his weapon and shield pending an internal review and investigation by state officials.
For the union contract, the manager will still be paid.
“In this case, the chief of police has directly observed what he believes to be possible critical misconduct and is taking action to relieve duty until a disciplinary investigation can be completed,” said Glenn McEntyre, a spokesman for the Department of Security. Public of the city.
Public Security Director Ned Pettus Jr. on Wednesday promised “a fair and impartial hearing” for Coy.
Mayor Andrew Ginther on Wednesday asked Coy to be expelled from the police.
“After further analysis of the incident, today, I am calling for the immediate resignation of Coy … who has failed in two directions: do not turn on your camera next to the body and stop offering help after the shooting and do not provide help,” said Ginther .
Meanwhile, Hill’s family hired nationally-renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump to represent them, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
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