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Officer Adam Coy charged with murder of Andre Hill, arrested in Columbus, Ohio

Police-Outreach Officers
Posted at 6:57 PM, Feb 03, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-03 21:41:17-05

Adam Coy, the now-fired member of the Columbus Police, was arrested on Wednesday and charged in connection with the Dec. 22, 2020, death of Andre Hill.

According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Coy has been charged on single counts of murder and felonious assault and two counts of dereliction of duty.

Coy was arrested at his lawyer's office on Wednesday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a news conference.

Yost said that the Ohio Attorney General's Office handled the investigation per the request of the City of Columbus. Yost's office then took the information to a grand jury, which handed down an indictment.

"I believe the evidence in this case supports the indictment and my office will vigorously prosecute this case," Yost said.

Coy was dismissed shortly after the shooting after the city’s Mayor Andrew Ginther said that Coy failed to properly use his body-worn camera and render aid to Hill.

Hill, a 47-year-old Black man from Columbus, was unarmed at the time of his death. The Franklin County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Hill was struck multiple times. Hill was seen on body-worn camera video walking toward Coy holding a cellphone in one of his hands when Coy shot him.

“Trust is the best friend of justice and the grand jury found the truth; Andre Hill should not be dead," Yost said.

Coy told investigators that he thought he saw a gun in Hill's right hand.

Officers were called to the area for a report of a man sitting in an SUV, continually turning on and off the vehicle, police said.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Coy was previously involved in an excessive force complaint that resulted in the City of Columbus paying a $45,000 payout. Coy was suspended for 160 hours for the 2012 incident, but kept his job.

Coy will have a bail hearing on Thursday, according to Yost.