Current:Home > ScamsPolice officer charged with murder for shooting Black man in his bed -Elevate Money Guide
Police officer charged with murder for shooting Black man in his bed
View
Date:2025-04-15 04:28:41
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! (122)
Related
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Northwestern fires baseball coach amid misconduct allegations days after football coach dismissed over hazing scandal
- Nordstrom Rack Currently Has Limited-Time Under $50 Deals on Hundreds of Bestselling Dresses
- Noxious Neighbors: The EPA Knows Tanks Holding Heavy Fuels Emit Harmful Chemicals. Why Are Americans Still at Risk?
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Stars of Oppenheimer walk out of premiere due to actors' strike
- High-paying jobs that don't need a college degree? Thousands of them sit empty
- What to know about the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Looking for a New Everyday Tote? Save 58% On This Bag From Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James
Ranking
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Soccer Star Neymar Pens Public Apology to Pregnant Girlfriend Bruna Biancardi for His “Mistakes
- Biden Could Reduce the Nation’s Production of Oil and Gas, but Probably Not as Much as Many Hope
- In a Bold Move, California’s Governor Issues Ban on Gasoline-Powered Cars as of 2035
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- David Malpass is stepping down as president of the World Bank
- How Kim Kardashian Really Feels About Hater Kourtney Kardashian Amid Feud
- Trump skips Iowa evangelical group's Republican candidate event and feuds with GOP Iowa governor
Recommendation
Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
Amazon will send workers back to the office under a hybrid work model
Billy Baldwin says Gilgo Beach murders suspect was his high school classmate: Mind-boggling
What Germany Can Teach the US About Quitting Coal
Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
Tesla recalls nearly 363,000 cars with 'Full Self-Driving' to fix flaws in behavior
Florida ocean temperatures peak to almost 100 degrees amid heatwave: You really can't cool off
Race, Poverty, Farming and a Natural Gas Pipeline Converge In a Rural Illinois Township