COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus police officer shot and killed a 20-year-old man inside a Hilltop apartment early Tuesday morning while attempting to serve a warrant.
According to the Columbus Division of Police, the shooting happened at an apartment complex in the 3200 block of Sullivant Avenue just before 2:30 a.m.
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said officers knocked on the apartment door for 8-10 minutes before anyone answered. Two men inside were taken into custody and the officers then called in a K9 unit to assist in a search of the apartment.
Bryant said the K9 led officers to a bedroom in the back of the apartment.
Body camera footage released by police shows the officer who was handling the K9 open the bedroom door and then fire one shot, striking a man on the bed.
The man shot by the officer was identified as 20-year-old Donovan Lewis. He was wanted on a felony warrant for domestic violence and assault and improperly handling a firearm, Bryant said.
Lewis was taken to Grant Medical Center in critical condition. He was pronounced dead at 3:19 a.m.
The officer who shot Lewis was identified as Ricky Anderson, a 30-year veteran of the department.
Officers at the scene said after the bedroom door was opened they saw Lewis raise his arms, holding onto something. No gun was recovered but police said a vape pen was found.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handling the investigation.
The NAACP released a statement on Tuesday calling for BCI to conduct a "thorough, comprehensive and immediate investigation" into the shooting.
"These incidents leave behind grieving family members, unanswered questions from thecommunity and a further divide between the citizens and the police department," the NAACP said.
The city promised transparency and an independent investigation into the shooting.
Stephanie Hightower, the president and CEO of the Columbus Urban League, released a statement Tuesday evening saying the community deserves a thorough and transparent investigation.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to family members who are grieving the loss of a loved one tonight. Please know that our entire community mourns with you. Today’s shooting evokes painful, conflicting responses. Early reports appear to indicate that this was a police veteran with a positive record. We don’t know all the details of what happened next, except that yet another Black man lost his life. It’s the third police-involved shooting in just over a week. These incidents clearly demonstrate why many of us demanded that a civilian review board and inspector general be put in place and why we concur with the Mayor and Police Chief’s decision to release the body camera footage to the community."