Shoot ‘horror’
No aid to man killed by cop riles Ohio mayor
An Ohio mayor and police chief expressed “horror” Thursday at the lack of medical aid provided to unarmed Black man Andre Hill as he lay dying on the ground after being fatally shot by a cop last week.
Hill was holding only a cell phone in his hands when now-terminated Columbus Police Officer Adam Coy shot and killed him in the predawn hours of Dec. 22, body-cam footage confirmed.
In a video address Thursday, Police Chief Thomas Quinlan called Coy’s actions “egregious” and said “many other officers who responded to the scene” failed to provide any medical assistance to Hill before paramedics arrived.
“Few of them rendered first aid to Mr. Hill as they waited for a medic,” Quinlan said.
“My initial reaction to the videos released today was anger and deep disappointment,” he said. “And I know it is horrifying for everyone who looks at it.”
Coy’s body-worn camera wasn’t fully activated at the time of the shooting, but once he flipped it back on in the aftermath, the 60-second “look back” feature allowed retrieval of the incident without audio.
Chief Quinlan said a comprehensive probe is now underway, and he already has imposed “tougher policies” related to body-camera use and officers’ “duty to render first aid.”
“The events of the last week have left me shaken and heartbroken for the family of Andre
Hill. Every man and woman who wears this badge should feel the same. I will not tolerate a repeat of these failures. And where officers failed, they will be held accountable,” he said.
Columbus Mayor Ginther echoed the comments.
“Like most who have watched the additional body-worn camera footage from the shooting of Andre Hill and the time following, I am horrified by the time that
Andrew chief’s passed before any officer provided aid to Mr. Hill,” Ginther tweeted Thursday.
“Our officers are trained to provide potentially life-saving care, and at the very least, comfort in these situations. One of the Division of Police’s core values is compassion. None of this was evident in the video released today,” he tweeted.
The mayor said he directed Quinlan to “hold all officers who failed to uphold division standards accountable.”
Ben Crump, the lawyer representing Hill’s family, expressed outrage Thursday at the fact Hill was treated as a dangerous criminal after he was shot.
“What is his crime? What is his crime? Why are they handcuffing him? I mean, he is lying on the ground, dying,” Crump said at a press conference, according to ABC 6.
Coy was fired from the force on Monday.
He opened fire without justification while responding to a nonemergency call after 1 a.m. about a car left running in front of a house, police said.