The City of Columbus, Ohio, reached a $10 million settlement with the family of Andre Hill, a Black man who was fatally shot by a now-former police officer as he walked out of the garage of a home, officials announced Friday.
The settlement, the highest such amount ever paid by the city, will move to the Columbus City Council for a vote on Monday.
“We understand that because of this former officer’s actions, the Hill family will never be whole,” City Attorney Zach Klein said in a statement. “No amount of money will ever bring Andre Hill back to his family, but we believe this is an important and necessary step in the right direction.”
Hill’s daughter, Karissa Hill, said the settlement is “one step but it’s not full justice.”
“It doesn’t take the scar off our hearts that we still have from my dad not being here,” she said at a press conference Friday.
Hill’s brother, Alvin Williams, thanked the city, peaceful protesters and many others for helping to set “this new positive trend about wrongdoing in policing.”
“We want things to change rapidly, immediately. As far as my brother, every soldier doesn’t make it through battle but the thing is they’ve paved the way for everybody else to have freedom and the righteous way of living in a more peaceful society,” he said.
Shawna Barnett, Hill’s sister, said the money doesn’t replace the pain the family still feels.
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“Today does mark a historic day for us. It’s a joyous day but it’s also a sad day too because he’s not here,” she told reporters. “He’s always been the person who cared for everybody; made sure everybody had everything they needed, wanted. With him not being here and being able to comfort us and to take care of us, that hurts my heart that he’s not here.”
In addition to the settlement, Klein said that a gymnasium at the Brentnell Community Center would be renamed after Hill.
Hill, 47, was fatally shot Dec. 22 by Officer Adam Coy after Coy and a second officer responded to a call that a person in a vehicle kept turning the engine on and off.
Former officer facing murder charges in death of Andre Hill Neither officer turned their body cameras on until immediately after the shooting. However, an automatic “look back” function captured the shooting without audio.
In the footage, Coy is seen using his flashlight as he and the other officer walked up the driveway of a home where Hill was a guest. Hill exited the garage holding a cellphone in his hand and began walking toward the officers when he was shot four times by Coy.
Coy was fired from the Columbus Division of Police in December and indicted in connection to Hill’s death. He pleaded not guilty to charges of murder in the commission of a felony, felonious assault and reckless homicide.
In February, a judge reduced his $3 million bond to $1 million.
Coy’s attorney had previously said his client believed Hill had a gun but no weapon was found at the scene. The former officer’s next court date is scheduled for June 7. A trial date has not yet been announced.
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