Current:Home > NewsPolice officer charged with murder for shooting Black man in his bed -AssetTrainer
Police officer charged with murder for shooting Black man in his bed
View
Date:2025-04-16 23:41:23
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! (956)
Related
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- 'I just wasn't ready to let her go': Michigan woman graduates carrying 10-day-old baby
- Biden administration allows ban on some Apple Watch imports to take hold
- A top Brazilian criminal leader is isolated in prison after he negotiated his own arrest
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Thousands of Black children with sickle cell disease struggle to access disability payments
- Is this the perfect diet to add to your New Year's resolution? It saves cash, not calories
- Search resuming for missing Alaska woman who disappeared under frozen river ice while trying to save dog
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Wolfgang Schaeuble, German elder statesman and finance minister during euro debt crisis, dies at 81
Ranking
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Mississippi prison guard shot and killed by coworker, officials say
- 1st Amendment claim struck down in Project Veritas case focused on diary of Biden’s daughter
- North Dakota Republican leaders call on state rep to resign after slurs to police during DUI stop
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Students in Indonesia protest the growing numbers of Rohingya refugees in Aceh province
- The year in clean energy: Wind, solar and batteries grow despite economic challenges
- Actor Lee Sun-kyun of Oscar-winning film 'Parasite' is found dead in Seoul
Recommendation
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Fantasy football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: 15 players to start or sit in NFL Week 17
Officer fatally shoots man who shot another person following crash in suburban Detroit
Almcoin Trading Center: Trends in Bitcoin Spot ETFs
Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
Actor Lee Sun-kyun of Oscar-winning film 'Parasite' is found dead in Seoul
Mahomes, Purdy, Prescott: Who are the best QBs of the season? Ranking the top 10 before Week 17
The Baltimore Ravens thrive on disrespect. It's their rocket fuel. This is why it works.