Ex-Ohio Police Officer Found Guilty of Shooting Unarmed Man Holding a Cell Phone and Keys

After massive calls for justice, former Columbus, Ohio police officer Adam Coy was convicted of murder in the fatal shooting of Andre Hill, a man who was simply holding a cell phone and keys when he was killed.

Nearly four years ago, Coy fired four shots at Hill inside a garage — a shocking act from an officer who had served the Columbus police force for nearly two decades. Coy contended he thought Hill held a revolver.

“I thought I was going to die,” he testified. Yet, he claims wasn’t until he turned Hill’s lifeless body over that he realized the “revolver” was just a set of keys. “I knew at that point I made a mistake. I was horrified,” Coy said, visibly shaken.

Muffled cries filled the courtroom as the verdict was read, but Coy himself remained motionless, partially obscured by his lawyers. Although prosecutors pushed for immediate sentencing, Judge Stephen McIntosh set the sentencing date for November 25th.

Coy’s defense team argued that this verdict would send shockwaves across law enforcement. Brian Steel, president of the Columbus police union, was dumbfounded, calling it “absolutely insane.”

“Your split-second decision can now be led to murder,” he said. “Officers are willing to die for this job; they do not want to go to prison for it.”

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented Hill’s family, said the verdict reaffirms that “accountability in law enforcement is not optional.” Perhaps the deepest shock lies in the chilling bodycam footage, which shows an unarmed Hill holding up his cell phone before the fatal shots while officers waited almost 10 minutes to render aid as he bled on the garage floor.

Following this tragic incident, Columbus passed “Andre’s Law,” mandating immediate medical aid for suspects, and the city agreed to a $10 million settlement with Hill’s family, the largest in its history. But for Hill’s family, particularly his sister Shawna Barnett, the fight for justice remains paramount.

“It’s been way too long,” she said. “It’s time to stop. It’s time to make everything fair.”