“At this time it critical what video of last night shooting and all available facts are shared for for the sake of of complete transparency,” the chairman of the Columbus City Council said. Shannon Hardin said in tweet which included a video and linked to a local news incident article. State Bureau of According to him, the criminal investigation conducts an independent investigation and can transfer evidence to grand jury.
Columbus Police Mayor office and State Attorney General office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Donovan Lewis is dead. As a parent you know I sympathize and mourn with his mother” said Police Chief Elaine Bryant. news conference. “I mourn with our community but we’re going allow conduct this investigation place”.
Lewis family wiped my tears on thursday news conference, as their attorney Rex Elliott called the officer’s actions reckless and inexcusable. He said that “there is no doubt that the video says us everything, everyone one of usexactly what happened in early morning hours of August 30th.
In the video, the officers are knocking on several doors to the apartment times and identify themselves in front of two men come out and in handcuffs. Then the police stand at the door with point their guns and loudly announce that they will send in a dog.
Columbus Police. If you’re inside, let me know.” one Officer says. turned off camera, the man can be heard saying, “They are sleeping.” The officer repeats: “Come on out. come out currently.”
Then one officer follows the police. dog into Lewis’s room and opens the door. Right after light illuminates Lewis leaning on himself on his mattress, the officer shoots. When Lewis writhes and moans in bed, they tell him to “crawl” out of room and stop resisting arrest. He was in handcuffs on bed and died in hospital shortly thereafter.
“Police shot Donovan Lewis when he was in one of The most vulnerable place of a person can be the bed. In the course of the investigation, some may point to fact that the police were trying to enforce the warrant when they shot Mr. Lewis, as if to imply that the alleged crime warranted immediate execution.” – Kelly Sampson director of racial justice on anti-gun-violence organization Brady said in statement.
Elliott, Lewis familyThe lawyer was asked why the police decided to execute the warrant in middle of night.
“I think that everything of us in probably in this room parents to tell us nothing good happens at 2 o’clock in morning,” he said. “Chief Bryant’s explanation that “well, we’re doing this because we’re supposed to be sure what are they in homeis nonsense. reality that felony warrants are executed every day in daylight hours”.
killing this is latest example of an unarmed black American is shot and killed by police. Black Americans are 2.5 years old. times more According to a 2019 Northwestern University study, police are more likely to kill police than white Americans. The numbers are even brighter in Ohio where is Black people 4.5 times more more likely to be killed by the police than White people.
In December 2020, Andre Hill, 47-year- old unarmed black man, shot four times times Columbus cop when he was leaving a friend house. His family received a $10 million settlement from city. Last year, an officer fatally shot Ma’Hiya Bryant, a black man of 16 years of age.year-0ld, outside her home. The officer has been cleared of criminal offences, after investigation.
Lewis killing was the third police shooting in in city in in past week, according to the Columbus Urban League. organization called for a community Saturday forum to discuss the incident.
“Yesterday’s shooting causes painful, conflicting responses. We understand that the execution of a felony warrant creates a highly volatile and dangerous situation. But still body-camera the video is as painful as it is fact that another black person has died,” Stephanie Hightower, group president, said in statement. “Regardless ultimate conclusion, our community deserves an independent, thorough and transparent investigation by all relevant authorities.”
Lewis was “the typical 20-year-old year-old kid” with loving family and a big circle of friends, Elliott said. He had “challenges in life, but on the whole he was very good person and very loved people behind me and others,” the lawyer said.
He named for accountability and change.
“Like a city, like a community, like people, we should get angry about events of Tuesday morning and every one of us should demand immediate reform,” Elliott said. “So don’t even one more life – and certainly not one more young life is taken like this is.”
