Current:Home > MyPolice officer charged with murder for shooting Black man in his bed -GrowthProspect
Police officer charged with murder for shooting Black man in his bed
View
Date:2025-04-18 04:30:49
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! (19)
Related
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- Mississippi governor announces new law enforcement operation to curb crime in capital city
- Amid artificial intelligence boom, AI girlfriends - and boyfriends - are making their mark
- A radio station is now playing Beyoncé's country song after an outcry from fans
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- NATO chief hails record defense spending and warns that Trump’s remarks undermine security
- Where will Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger sign? MLB free agent rumors after Giants sign Soler
- North Carolina tells nature-based therapy program to stop admissions during probe of boy’s death
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- How The Bachelor's Serene Russell Embraces Her Natural Curls After Struggles With Beauty Standards
Ranking
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- Last-minute love: Many Americans procrastinate when it comes to Valentine’s gifts
- A small fish is at the center of a big fight in the Chesapeake Bay
- Lyft shares rocket 62% over a typo in the company’s earnings release
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Recent gaffes by Biden and Trump may be signs of normal aging – or may be nothing
- Knicks protest loss to Rockets after botched call in final second. What comes next?
- Charlotte, a stingray with no male companion, is pregnant in her mountain aquarium
Recommendation
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
Former NBA player Bryn Forbes arrested on family violence charge
Group challenges restrictions in Arizona election manual on ballot drop-off locations
Inflation is cooling. So why are food prices, from steak to fast-food meals, still rising?
Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
Connecticut pastor found with crystal meth during traffic stop, police say
1 person killed and 10 injured when vehicle crashes into emergency room in Austin, Texas
Dakota Johnson's Trainer Megan Roup Wants You to Work Out Less