COLUMBUS, Ohio — Civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton gave promising words of change to those in attendance at Tuesday’s funeral service for Andre' Hill.
Andre' Hill was shot and killed by former Columbus Police officer Adam Coy on Dec. 22 in northern Columbus.
The reverend has attended several other funerals to pay respects to African American lives lost including George Floyd in the summer of 2019.
“We cannot normalize police shooting unarmed men based on their imagination,” Sharpton said.
He called for the end of excuses at Hill’s service. Sharpton said those who swear to protect the community must now take responsibility for their actions.
“You were employed. You were sworn in. You were given a badge and a gun to represent the state. You are not a regular human being. You were hired to be your brother’s keeper,” Sharpton said.
He and other civil rights leaders met with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris weeks ago to discuss officer-involved shootings like Hill’s.
He said in that meeting, he challenged both leaders to two things.
“We need to have the reimplementation of police reforms that he was part of as Vice President under President Barack Obama. I also challenged him to have a Black attorney general, but at least have an attorney general that has a background in policing and civil rights," Sharpton said.
Other local and national leaders and activists were in attendance paying their respects to the family and demanding change including family attorney Ben Crump.
Crump demanded officers take a hard look at themselves in search of humanity.
“Like Alvin, his brother, said, whether they are a victim or a suspect, you still treat people with humanity,” Crump said.