Aug 31, 2022 - News

Columbus police officer fatally shoots man in bed

A close-up of a Columbus police cruiser

Photo: Stephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

A Columbus police officer shot and killed a man early Tuesday morning while serving an arrest warrant at a Hilltop apartment.

What happened: Body camera footage shows officer Ricky Anderson, a 30-year veteran, shoot 20-year-old Donovan Lewis in bed just before 3am, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

  • Before shooting Lewis, the footage shows, officers took two people who answered the door into custody, then searched the apartment with a K-9.
  • During the search, Anderson fired a single shot after Lewis raised his hand with something in it, which appeared to be a vape pen, chief Elaine Bryant said at a press conference yesterday afternoon. Officers then ordered Lewis to crawl out of bed but instead handcuffed him, carried him outside and rendered aid.
  • Lewis died at Grant Medical Center. He had outstanding warrants for domestic violence, assault and improperly handling a firearm.

Context: This is the third time in eight days a CPD officer fired a gun while on duty.

  • Early last week, an officer fired a gun during an altercation in the Hilltop, but didn't strike anybody.
  • An unidentified 17-year-old was wounded by police Saturday afternoon during a traffic stop on the Near East Side and is expected to survive.

What they're saying: "When our officers have done the right thing, then we're going to stand with them. And when they do the wrong thing, we're going to hold them accountable," Mayor Andrew Ginther said at the press conference.

What's next: The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation will investigate both shootings.

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