Current:Home > MyPolice officer charged with murder for shooting Black man in his bed -Wealthify
Police officer charged with murder for shooting Black man in his bed
View
Date:2025-04-17 13:46:07
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.
Anderson shot and killed 20-year-old Donovan Lewis in August 2022 during a search warrant while he was unarmed and in bed.
Body camera footage was released of the encounter last September and Anderson, a 30-year veteran of the Columbus Police Department, appears to open fire almost immediately after police open the bedroom door to where Lewis was sleeping. He later died at a hospital.
Anderson retired in bad standing months after the shooting.
"We are relieved that a grand jury concluded what we've known all along: Officer Ricky Anderson broke the law when he shot and killed an unarmed Donovan Lewis as he laid in his bed," the attorneys for Rebecca Duran, Lewis' mother, said in a statement Friday. "CPD bodycam video showed this clearly and nothing has changed in almost a year. Although Mr. Lewis' family is pleased that his killer will soon face a jury of his peers, they are incredibly disappointed that it took so long to come to this conclusion in the first place."
Police officers were executing a warrant on Lewis' home to arrest him on three separate charges: domestic violence, assault and improper handling of a firearm.
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."
MORE: Family files wrongful death lawsuit against Columbus police officer who shot Donovan Lewis
Lewis' family filed a civil suit against Anderson, as well as four other officers involved in the raid, in February.
According to the complaint, Anderson had a total of 58 complaints against him over the years, including use of force complaints, and has also been reprimanded for sexual harassment while on the job.
"As prosecutors pursue Mr. Anderson in the criminal case, we will continue to fight for justice and accountability in our civil case," the lawyers for Duran said Friday. "Our hope is that no other parent has to bury their child as the result of a reckless act by a member of law enforcement."
ABC News' Nakylah Carter and Erica Y. King contributed to this report.
veryGood! (387)
Related
- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear ready to campaign for Harris-Walz after losing out for spot on the ticket
- The love in Bill Walton's voice when speaking about his four sons was unforgettable
- What’s at stake in the European Parliament election next month
- Massive international police operation takes down ransomware networks, arrests 4 suspects
- A steeplechase record at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Then a proposal. (He said yes.)
- Will Below Deck Med ‘s Captain Sandy Yawn Officiate Aesha Scott's Wedding? The Stew Says...
- Poland’s leader says the border with Belarus will be further fortified after a soldier is stabbed
- Clerk over Alex Murdaugh trial spent thousands on bonuses, meals and gifts, ethics complaint says
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Heat-related monkey deaths are now reported in several Mexican states
Ranking
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Nearly 3 out of 10 children in Afghanistan face crisis or emergency level of hunger in 2024
- IRS makes free tax return program permanent and is asking all states to join in 2025
- Ohio House pairs fix assuring President Biden is on fall ballot with foreign nationals giving ban
- A New York Appellate Court Rejects a Broad Application of the State’s Green Amendment
- Former TikToker Ali Abulaban Found Guilty in 2021 Murders of His Wife and Her Friend
- NHTSA seeks records from Tesla in power steering loss probe
- Trial postponed in financial dispute over Ohio ancient earthworks deemed World Heritage site
Recommendation
$73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
More people make ‘no-buy year’ pledges as overspending or climate worries catch up with them
Turkey signals new military intervention in Syria if Kurdish groups hold municipal election
Is it possible to turn off AI Overview in Google Search? What we know.
Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
House Ethics Committee investigating indicted Rep. Henry Cuellar
House Ethics Committee investigating indicted Rep. Henry Cuellar
NRA can sue ex-NY official it says tried to blacklist it after Parkland shooting, Supreme Court says