The police chief said that “few” policemen had provided assistance before the doctors arrived, and the mayor said he was “horrified” by the time that passed before any police tried to provide assistance.
Both promise accountability as a result of a thorough investigation after dozens of investigative materials – including the video from the body’s camera – were released Thursday by the department.
Chief Thomas Quinlan said that while the police did not use lethal force, “few provided first aid to Mr. Hill while waiting for a doctor.”
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther echoed the chief’s sentiment in a statement, saying, “I am appalled at the time that passed before any officer provided Mr. Hill with help.”
“Our officers are trained to provide care with the potential to save lives and, at the very least, comfort in these situations,” he said.
Both say that one of the central values of the Columbus Police Division is “compassion”, and little or none of that was shown as evidenced in the video.
Hill’s family and his lawyer said the images from the body’s camera are further evidence that his death was “unnecessary and unjustifiable”.
Ginther said he instructed the chief to “investigate the events of December 22 completely and thoroughly, and hold all officers who did not meet the Division’s standards accountable.”
“We are investigating to find out who defended the policies and standards of the Columbus Police Division and who did not,” said Quinlan, noting that a large amount of video reviews and interviews are part of that process.
CNN contacted Coy’s lawyer to comment on Thursday on criticism from the mayor and the chief of police.
Coy’s body camera did not capture audio because he did not activate it until after the shooting. But a retrospective feature captured 60 seconds of video without audio before Coy turned on the camera.
Coy and the other officer had been dispatched on an emergency call to someone “continually restarting a gray SUV” and found Hill in a garage. Both had their weapons drawn and approached from opposite sides, according to their interview.
Coy asked Hill to leave the garage and Hill did not respond verbally, but started to leave the garage.
Hill’s left hand held a cell phone, but his right was “hidden behind his leg.” The released records indicate that Hill dropped his left hand before Coy shot him, but it is unclear in Coy’s video what happened.
Quinlan said he recently tightened policies on body cameras and the duty to provide first aid.
“As a police chief, and just as a human being, the events of last week left me shaken and heartbroken by Andre Hill’s family,” said Quinlan. “I will not tolerate a repeat of these failures. And where the officers have failed, they will be held accountable.”
Family criticizes police response after video was released
Lawyer Ben Crump addressed reporters after the body camera footage was released, praising the city for its transparency efforts, but asked, “Where is humanity for Andre Hill?”
“What is Andre Hill’s crime?” Crump said. “Is it because he is a black man, and for some reason, the police in America shoot first and ask questions later?”
His family also responded to the footage, saying it was horrible to watch.
“No one felt any kind of human emotion or sympathy for this dying man who was breathing hard,” said Alvin Williams, Hill’s younger brother. “And then you hold him worse than a caged animal. Not just for Columbus, Ohio, I’m saying this to all the police forces on this earth. Your hunting season is over.”
The family also emphasized that they want to work so that something like this doesn’t happen again.
“We need a change,” said Michelle Hairston. “Because nobody should have to keep going through this. We shouldn’t be going through this indefinitely. We need something to happen.”
Crump also said that Clarissa Hill, the daughter of Andre Hill, is interested in working on legislation to force police officers to have their body cameras turned on or to be fired.
The family described Hill as a kind man with a variety of interests, including chess, cooking and helping his family with household projects.
Peter Nickeas and Sonia Moghe of CNN contributed to this report.