An unarmed black man named Andre Maurice Hill, 47, was killed by police in Columbus, Ohio this week while walking up to a police officer with a cell phone in hand.
The bodycam video showed Hill was in the garage of a house Monday night when he was shot multiple times. The police responded to the scene because of a minor incident. No weapons were found on the victim.
The footage had no sound and policeman Adam Coy waited a few minutes with his colleague before approaching the victim who was still alive. He later died.
Local media reports indicated that Coy had previously had complaints of excessive violence.
The Daily Beast reported, “A middle-aged white man who lives on the block said Tuesday that he made the 911 call that took the police to the neighborhood. The man, who refused to give his name, said he wanted to make it clear that he made the call because he was woken up by a car engine that the driver turned on and off for an extended period of time. “
Hill is the second African American to be killed by Columbus police in less than three weeks.
“Once again officials see a black man and conclude that he is criminal and dangerous,” said attorney Ben Crump. He denounced the situation as a “tragic result of shootings by officers”.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said he was “outraged” and “very worried” about Hill’s death. He said that “the residents of the house where his car was parked on the street” knew him as a “guest … not an intruder”.
Ginther added, “It is unacceptable to me and the community that the officers did not turn on their cameras. Let me be clear If you don’t turn on your body-worn camera, you won’t be able to serve and protect the people of Columbus … The community is exhausted. “
Ginther also called for Coy to “resign immediately”.
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