When police officers, such as Mr. Coy and those accused of killing George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks, face felony murder charges, prosecutors do not need to prove malice aforethought. Prosecutors in Mr. Coy’s case did present the grand jury with a charge of purposeful murder, but the jurors indicted him on murder in commission of a felony.
Mr. Coy’s lawyer, Mark Collins, said that he had expected an indictment because of “the low threshold of probable cause,” but that the specific charges were surprising. He said the evidence would show that Mr. Coy was justified in his use of force and that the former officer believed that Mr. Hill was holding a silver revolver in one hand.
“Police officers have to make these split-second decisions, and they can be mistaken,” said Mr. Collins, who said Mr. Hill was actually holding a keychain. “If they are mistaken, as long as there’s an honest belief and that mistake is reasonable, the action is justified.”
Mr. Coy will appear at a bail hearing on Thursday. He gave a written statement to the grand jury and a two-hour interview to the attorney general’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
The body camera footage of the shooting shows Mr. Coy and one other officer responding to a call about a suspicious S.U.V. parked in a residential area. As they approach a garage and shine a flashlight inside, Mr. Hill walks slowly toward them with what appears to be a cellphone. Within seconds, Mr. Coy opens fire and Mr. Hill falls to the ground.
Almost as soon as the shooting ends, the audio kicks in. Mr. Coy can be heard telling Mr. Hill to put his hands by his side and roll onto his stomach. The wounded man groans as Mr. Coy pats him down, saying, “Don’t move, dude.”
Based on the body camera footage, it is unclear how long officers waited before they provided first aid, but some officers are seen attending to Mr. Hill about six minutes after he was shot.
No weapon was recovered at the scene.
The Link LonkFebruary 04, 2021 at 07:17AM
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Former Columbus Police Officer Is Charged With Murder of Andre Hill - The New York Times
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