Dozens of investigative materials, including body camera video, were released to the Columbus Division of Police by the mayor and police chief on Thursday after the mayor and police chief vowed to take responsibility as a result of a thorough investigation into Hill’s death.
Unfisher Amy Detweiler was on the scene when Hill, who was unarmed, was shot dead. Footage from his body camera shows Hill lying on the garage floor of a handcuffed house.
A stranger comes out of the house and tells police, “He was bringing me Christmas money! He did nothing.”
Benjamin Krump, the attorney representing the Hill family, told a news conference Thursday that Hill was visiting a family friend.
“He was invited home, he wasn’t an intruder,” Kramp said. He also said Hill fell to the ground, “struggling for life for five minutes and 11 seconds.”
Detweiler said in an investigative interview recorded on Dec. 23 that she had not observed any threats from Hill and that Hill had not been verbally warned by anyone.
She said she arrived at the scene shortly after she saw Hill walking in the open, dark garage of the house to answer a disturbing call.
“He wasn’t trying to force his way in. There, just, he was just in the garage,” Detwiler said in an audio recording. “But it didn’t feel like he was living there. We can’t say, we needed to get out. (If he had lived there).”
Detweiler said Coe told Hill to get out of the garage, but did not order him to come out of the hand. Those who followed him said he saw Hill waving a cell phone in his left hand, but he couldn’t see his right.
“When he got around the car, at the time when Officer Koye inspected the firearm and said, ‘He has a gun in his hand, he has a gun in his hand’ and then there were shots.”
Datweiler said in an interview that she doesn’t remember who told Hill to drop the gun or who claimed to have it.
In a statement to CNN, Detweiler’s attorney, Leighton Lipperman, said Columbus police officers are currently receiving “very minimal” first aid training by the city and are not provided with medical equipment other than first aid kits.
“Without the necessary training and medical equipment, officers – including the scenario for the incident – cannot provide effective assistance. Without proper training, officers do more harm,” Lipperman said. “The Police Brotherhood Order F City has requested the officers to provide the necessary training and equipment so that in the future the officers will be prepared to assist more effectively and hopefully be trained on an annual basis.”
Lipperman added, “While officers should be held accountable for their actions or inaction, they must first be given proper training and equipment. No failure or criticism should be placed on officers due to lack of training and equipment.”
Coyne’s attorneys Mark Collins and Caitlin Stephens said in a statement to CNN that they “understand and sympathize” with the statements made about the delay in providing assistance.
“We hope that (the Bureau of Criminal Investigation) and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Fees conduct a fair, thorough and transparent investigation.” That is, the use of lethal force at the instant where the lethal force was used.
Columbus Officers Declare the reaction of officers
Quinnell said “a few” officers provided assistance before the physicians arrived, and the mayor said it was “horrific” from the time any officer passed before providing assistance.
Quinnell said while responding officers did not use lethal force, “some of them gave Mr. Hill first aid because they were waiting for some medication.”
Mayor Andrew J. “I’m horrified by the time any officer has gone before to provide assistance to Mr. Hill,” Ginter said in a statement echoing the chief’s sentiment.
“Our officers are trained to provide potential life-saving care, and at least relax in these situations,” he said.
Both say “compassion” is one of the core values of the Columbus Division of Police, and not a single one of them is shown as evidence in the video.
Hill’s family and his attorney said the body camera footage was further evidence that his death was “unnecessary and unintentional.”
Ginther said he had instructed the chief to “conduct a thorough and thorough investigation into the December 22 incidents and arrest all officers who failed to hold the department accountable.”
“To get to the bottom of who supported the Columbus Division of Police’s policies and standards and who didn’t, we’re investigating,” Quinley said, adding that a large number of video reviews and interviews are part of that process.
My body camera didn’t capture audio because I didn’t activate it until after the shoot. The look-back feature captures 60 seconds of video without audio dio before anyone turns on their camera.
Koi and another officer were dispatched on a disturbing call for someone “constantly restarting a gray SUV” and encountered Hill inside a garage. Both guns were aimed at him at the opposite side corner, according to his interview.
Koe asked Hill to get out of the garage and Hill did not respond verbally but started walking out of the garage.
Hill’s left hand was holding a cellphone but his right hand was “hidden behind his feet.” According to a published record State Hill report, Koy dropped his left arm before shooting him, but it is not clear from Koy’s video.
Quinnell said it has recently tightened first-duty policies for body-wearing cameras and policy assistance.
“As a police chief, and as a human being, last week’s events have shocked me, and made Andre Hill’s family heartbroken,” Quinnell said. “I will not tolerate a repeat of these failures. And where the officers failed, they will be held accountable.”
Police criticized the police response after the video was released
After releasing body camera footage of Mera on Thursday, Crump praised the city for its transparency efforts but asked: “Where is humanity for Andre Hill?”
“What is Andre Hill’s crime?” Crimp said at the news conference. “Is it because he’s a black man, and for whatever reason, the police in America shoot first and then ask questions?”
Her family also reacted to the footage, saying it was horrible to watch.
“No one had the kind of feeling or sympathy for the dead man’s last breath,” said Hill’s younger brother, Alvin Williams. “And then you hold him even harder than an animal in a cage.” Not just for Columbus, Ohio, I say this for all the police forces on this land. Your hunting season is over. “
The family insisted they wanted to work on making sure something like this never happened again.
“We need to make a difference,” Mitchell told Hearst. “Because no one should go through this. We shouldn’t go through this. We need to become something.”
Krampe also said Andre Hill’s daughter, Clarissa Hill, was interested in working with the law to force officers to install cameras on her body.
The family described Hill as a kind man with a variety of interests, including helping his family with chess, cooking and projects around the house.
Peter Nikki of CNN contributed to this report.
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