COLUMBUS, Ohio — A jury found former Columbus police officer Adam Coy guilty on all charges in the December 2020 shooting death of Andre Hill.
The jury deliberated for more than two days before finding Coy guilty of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault.
He will be sentenced on Nov. 25.
Coy was a 17-year veteran of the Columbus Division of Police at the time of the shooting.
On Dec. 22, 2020, Coy was called to Oberlin Avenue to investigate a disturbance. He said the complaint was for an SUV that was turning on and off repeatedly for several hours.
Police body camera footage showed Hill emerging from the garage of a friend's house holding up a cellphone in his left hand, his right hand not visible, seconds before he was fatally shot by Coy. About 10 minutes passed before officers at the scene began coming to the aid of Hill, who lay bleeding on the garage floor. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
During the trial, Coy testified he fired four times after he spotted what he thought was a silver revolver as Hill was emerging from the garage.
“I knew at that point I made a mistake," Coy told jurors while fighting back tears. "I was horrified. It was the worst night of my life.”
Prosecutors have said that Hill followed the officer's commands and was never a threat to Coy.
The defense argued Coy believed his life was in danger.
“That there was no weapon does not matter,” defense attorney Kaitlyn Stephens told jurors. “Police officers are allowed to be mistaken.”
The defense called former Columbus SWAT officer and use of force expert James Scanlon to testify. Scanlon was asked if Coy’s actions were consistent with law enforcement standards. He responded, "I did. I found Coy’s actions completely in line with law enforcement standards."