Current:Home > NewsPolice officer charged with murder for shooting Black man in his bed -MacroWatch
Police officer charged with murder for shooting Black man in his bed
View
Date:2025-04-15 02:59:26
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! (46594)
Related
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Beyoncé's Adidas x Ivy Park Drops a Disco-Inspired Swim Collection To Kick off the Summer
- A new Ford patent imagines a future in which self-driving cars repossess themselves
- Indigenous Tribes Facing Displacement in Alaska and Louisiana Say the U.S. Is Ignoring Climate Threats
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- Inside Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's Blended Family
- Japan ad giant and other firms indicted over alleged Olympic contract bid-rigging
- Indigenous Tribes Facing Displacement in Alaska and Louisiana Say the U.S. Is Ignoring Climate Threats
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- House escalates an already heated battle over federal government diversity initiatives
Ranking
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Toxic algae is making people sick and killing animals – and it will likely get worse
- To Equitably Confront Climate Change, Cities Need to Include Public Health Agencies in Planning Adaptations
- Inside Clean Energy: The Energy Storage Boom Has Arrived
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Transcript: Kara Swisher, Pivot co-host, on Face the Nation, July 16, 2023
- Adele Pauses Concert to Survey Audience on Titanic Sub After Tragedy at Sea
- Why Brexit's back in the news: Britain and the EU struck a Northern Ireland trade deal
Recommendation
The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
Democrats urge Republicans to rescind RFK Jr. invitation to testify
As Harsh Financial Realities Emerge, St. Croix’s Limetree Bay Refinery Could Be Facing Bankruptcy
Death Valley, hottest place on Earth, hits near-record high as blistering heat wave continues
How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
2 more eyedrop brands are recalled due to risks of injury and vision problems
Why Kristin Cavallari Is Against Son Camden, 10, Becoming a YouTube Star
As the US Pursues Clean Energy and the Climate Goals of the Paris Agreement, Communities Dependent on the Fossil Fuel Economy Look for a Just Transition