Murder Charges Handed Down in Police Shooting of Man Lying in Bed
One year ago this month, a group of Columbus police officers barged into a home to execute an arrest warrant which ended in the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old Black man as he lay in bed. Now, the shooter is facing murder charges in the incident.
Since-retired Columbus Police Department officer Ricky Anderson was caught on body camera entering Donovan Lewis’ apartment to arrest him for domestic violence, assault and improper handling of a firearm, per ABC News. The video shows Anderson sending a K-9 to Lewis’ door and seconds after it opens, he fired a single shot into the room. Lewis was seen in the footage sitting up in his bed with his hands raised. He died later at the hospital.
Read more
Aside from Halle Bailey, Here Are Other Black Disney Actors and Characters We Love
15 Priceless Black Twitter Moments Worth Remembering [Updated]
Following the incident, Anderson was placed on paid leave but retired in bad standing months later. His exit may or may not have been attributed to the lawsuit filed by Lewis’ family that exposed a slew of 58 complaints against Anderson alleging use of force and sexual harassment in the workplac.
Now, he’s about to face prosecution.
Read more from ABC7 Chicago:
Former Columbus, Ohio, police officer Ricky Anderson has been indicted on charges of murder and reckless homicide for the shooting of a Black man last year.
Mark Collins, the attorney for Anderson, said in a statement last September, “When we analyze police-involved shootings, we must look to the totality of the circumstances, and we are expressly forbidden from using 20/20 hindsight, because unlike all of us, officers are not afforded the luxury of armchair reflection when they are faced with rapidly evolving, volatile encounters in dangerous situations.”
Rex Elliot, an attorney for Lewis’ family, said in a press conference that it took too long for the charges to come down.
“The reality is that there is a different justice system for citizens and there’s a different justice system for police officers. This never should have taken this long. They want people to become numb to what happened, and we are not numb to what happened,” said Elliot.
In Ohio, murder sentences can range anywhere from 15 years in prison to the death penalty. Reckless homicide carries a much lower sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Anderson posted bond at $50,000 (which was only 10 percent of his full bond set at half-a-million) but hasn’t been released from Franklin County Corrections Center yet, according to NBC4i.
More from The Root
Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
