‘Enough is enough’: Ohio lawmakers, family, others honor Andre Hill
COLUMBUS, OHIO >> As light snow fell around the Ohio church Tuesday morning, Andre Hill’s family, friends and strangers angry about his death — clad in their Sunday best and Black Lives Matter masks — walked in to honor his life.
Inside the church in Columbus, a photo of Hill, 47, surrounded by the faces of Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor and the other Black people killed by authorities in recent years leaned against the stage next to his open casket. A white mark was taped on every other chair to facilitate social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
State Sen. Hearcel Craig greeted guests at the door. The Democratic lawmaker is a minister at southwest Columbus’ The Church of God, where Hill’s service was taking place.
“This is the second time in three weeks I have been here to honor the life of a Black man taken by this city’s officials,” Craig said.
The first was for the funeral of 23-year- old Casey Goodson Jr., who was killed by a Franklin County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Dec. 4.
Scarcely three weeks later, Columbus Police Officer Adam Coy can be seen in bodycam footage fatally shooting Hill early Dec. 22 as Hill emerged from a garage holding a cellphone in his left hand with his right hand obscured. He was visiting a family friend at the time.
“Being Black in America gives us cause to be cynical, and we must say enough is enough,” Shannon Hardin, the Democratic chair of the Columbus City Council, said at the beginning of Hill’s service.
Hardin also announced a city council resolution called Andre’s Law that would ensure Columbus police officers use their body cameras accurately by turning them on before shootings take place and to give victims aid within an appropriate timeframe.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, U. S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, state Rep. Erica Crawley were among a number of lawmakers and leaders in attendance.