Police bodycam shows that a Columbus, Ohio, police officer fatally shot an unarmed young man of color while lying in his bed.
The shooting of the 20-year-old, whose name is Donovan Lewis, happened on Tuesday, August 30th, around 2 a.m. He was shot by Police Officer Ricky Anderson, according to a police statement, a 30-year veteran who has served on the Columbus Division of Police.
Anderson was assigned to the department’s K9 unit. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is looking into the occurrence and has placed Anderson on leave.
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryan said in a press conference that they know that “the officers knocked on the door for several minutes … acknowledging themselves as Columbus Police officers.”
Bodycam shows the cop called out to Donovan several times. They arrested several other men when they came in and approached his bedroom.
The officers saw a man on the bed, identified as Lewis. Anderson shot his gun off, hitting Lewis. Officers handcuffed the injured man and took him to a nearby hospital.
Lewis was pronounced dead at 3:19 a.m.
CNN reported that the lawyer for the young man’s family, Rex Elliott said in a news conference yesterday (September 1st), that he believes there was no justification for the shooting.
Elliott said, “Donovan was unarmed, and he was abiding by police commands to come out of his room when he was shot in cold blood by Officer Anderson.”
The attorney said this at a conference while standing with Lewis’ parents, siblings, grandmother, aunt, and family friends.
He added that these were “just a few of the many people that have had their lives altered forever because of the events of early Tuesday morning.”