Former Columbus, Ohio, officer pleads guilty to reckless homicide in Black man’s 2022 death

Courtesy Donovan Lewis Family

A former Ohio police officer who fatally shot a Black man lying in bed pleaded guilty Wednesday to reckless homicide, the lesser of the two charges he faced in the shooting four years ago.

Ricky Anderson entered what is known as an Alford plea, acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to support a conviction without admitting guilt. In exchange, the state agreed to drop a murder charge, according to the Franklin County prosecuting attorney.

Anderson was a K-9 officer with the Columbus Police Department when he killed Donovan Lewis, 20, in August 2022.

Police have said officers went to Lewis’ apartment around 2 a.m. that morning to arrest him on multiple warrants, including for domestic violence, assault and felony improper handling of a firearm. Anderson’s attorneys have said evidence at trial would have shown that he was justified in using deadly force. An attorney for Lewis’ family has said body-camera footage appears to show Anderson firing within a second of opening the bedroom door where Lewis was sleeping. The family has a pending civil suit against the former officer.

The U.S. Justice Department agreed in 2021 to review Columbus Police Department practices after a series of fatal police shootings of Black people — including the April 2021 killing of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant — and the city’s response to racial injustice protests in 2020.

Anderson will be sentenced at a later date. His sentence could range from probation to three years in prison, defense attorney Mark Collins said.

An attorney for Lewis’ family said the officer’s plea was not enough.

“We acknowledge a police officer finally admitting he recklessly killed a young man. But nothing that happens to him will bring Donovan back. He lives his life while Donovan’s family will suffer his loss for the rest of theirs. Is this truly justice?” Rex H. Elliott said.

承蒙多诺万·刘易斯家族惠允

一名俄亥俄州前警官周三承认犯有过失杀人罪，他曾枪杀了一名躺在床上的黑人男子。这是四年前枪击案中他面临的两项指控中较轻的一项。

瑞奇·安德森认罪，他承认检方掌握了足够的证据可以定罪，但并不承认有罪。据富兰克林县检察官称，作为交换，州政府同意撤销谋杀指控。

2022 年 8 月，安德森在哥伦布警察局担任警犬训导员时，杀死了 20 岁的多诺万·刘易斯。

警方称，当天凌晨2点左右，警员前往刘易斯的公寓，准备以多项逮捕令逮捕他，其中包括家庭暴力、袭击和非法持有枪支等重罪。安德森的律师表示，庭审证据将表明他使用致命武力是正当的。刘易斯家属的律师则表示，执法记录仪的视频显示，安德森在打开刘易斯睡觉的卧室门后不到一秒钟就开了枪。刘易斯的家人已对这名前警官提起民事诉讼，目前案件仍在审理中。

2021 年，美国司法部同意审查哥伦布警察局的做法，此前发生了一系列警察枪杀黑人的致命事件，包括 2021 年 4 月 16 岁少女 Ma'Khia Bryant 被杀事件，以及该市对 2020 年种族不公正抗议活动的回应。

安德森的量刑将在稍后进行。辩护律师马克·柯林斯表示，他的刑期可能从缓刑到三年监禁不等。

刘易斯家人的律师表示，该警官的认罪不足以弥补过失。

“我们承认一名警官终于承认他鲁莽地杀害了一名年轻人。但无论对他采取什么措施，都无法让多诺万复活。他可以继续过他的生活，而多诺万的家人却要终生承受失去亲人的痛苦。这真的是正义吗？”雷克斯·H·艾略特说道。