COLUMBUS, Ohio — The officer who was with former Columbus Division of Police officer Adam Coy when he fatally shot Andre Hill nearly four years ago testified on Friday.
Coy, who is charged with murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault, shot Hill on Oberlin Drive on Dec. 22, 2020.
It was an emotional day inside the courtroom as attorneys showed the body-worn camera video of Coy and Officer Amy Detweiler, who was at the scene at the time of the shooting.
Detweiler responded moments after Coy did at a residence on Oberlin Drive. Police were called to the area because of a neighbor's noise complaint about an SUV left running.
Police bodycam 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.
Prosecutors showed jurors both Detweiler's and Coy's bodycam video and asked Detweiler to explain what was happening.
Detweiler explained she could not see Hill's right side, but that he held up a cellphone with his left hand and she looked directly at the phone, and not his right hand.
Defense attorney Mark Collins asked Detweiler, “How did it make you feel that you were focused on that cellphone?”
“Foolish. If it was a distraction, I was distracted by it," adding that she couldn't see Hill's right hand because it was obstructed from her view.
Detweiler said after Coy shot Hill, Coy told her not to approach Hill because he was concerned Hill was still armed. Hill was not armed at the time of the shooting.
Detweiler was asked how Coy reacted when he realized there was no gun.
“I'm not sure we realized there was no weapon. There's an extreme amount of emotion. No officer intends to do that. He was visibly upset,” she said.
Attorneys asked if there was “Any doubt in your mind Adam Coy believed he had a gun?” Detweiler said no.
Testimony is scheduled to continue on Monday.