A jury has convicted ex-Columbus, Ohio, police officer Adam Coy of murder, felonious assault and reckless homicide in the shooting death of 47-year-old Andre Hill. “As to count one. We, the jury, being duly empowered and sworn to find the defendant, Adam Coy, guilty of murder as he stands charged in count one of the indictment,” Judge McIntosh read.
In December 2020, then-officer Coy was responding to a call about a suspicious person sitting in a running vehicle. When Coy arrived on scene, he found Hill sitting in a parked SUV. Hill told Coy he was waiting for someone.
Then, another responding officer arrived, and Coy told her that something seemed amiss about Hill’s story. Both officers walked up a driveway to a house, where they shined a flashlight in an open garage and saw Hill inside.
Officers asked him to come out and show himself, and as Hill walked toward them, Coy testified he believed he saw a silver revolver in Hill’s hand. Officer Coy fired four times, striking and killing Hill. In his hands, Hill had silver keys and a phone. He was unarmed.
The other responding officer testified that she drew her weapon but did not shoot because she did not see Hill holding a firearm. Neither officer had their body cameras turned on.
Coy told the jury he believed he saw what he thought was a silver gun and believed he was going to die. In court, prosecutors argued that Hill followed all of Coy’s demands.
Defense attorneys contended that it didn’t matter if Hill had a weapon; Coy believed he did and that his life was in danger. The police department fired Coy one week after the shooting.
The city of Columbus also settled a lawsuit with Hill’s family for $10 million. Coy faces 15 years to life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 25.
