COLUMBUS, Ohio — The video from Columbus police officer Adam Coy’s body-worn camera on Dec. 22 begins in silence.
That’s because it begins during the “look back” period, the 60 seconds automatically recorded after a body camera is activated.
It shows Officer Coy walking from his vehicle up toward an open garage door.
Inside was 47-year-old Andre’ Hill, who walked from behind a parked car toward Officer Coy, holding an illuminated phone in his left hand. His right hand wasn’t visible.
It’s not clear, because of the lack of audio, if any words were spoken before Officer Coy shot Hill, and Hill fell to the garage floor.
The audio then picks up again, and Coy can be heard shouting several verbal commands.
“Hands out to the side, now,” he said. “Roll to your stomach, now. Yeah.”
Hill does not move. Eventually Coy approaches Hill and rolls the man over himself as Hill can be heard moaning.
That’s when a female officer who arrived with Coy approaches.
“Don’t get (expletive) close, I can’t see his (expletive) hand,” Coy said.
Minutes later, Coy asks the female officer to call for a support officer, someone who would stay by Coy’s side throughout the morning.
The officer does but does not call for a medic. Radio traffic shows four minutes pass before that happens.
“We do not have one, we do need one,” she said when asked about a medic.
From there, the body camera footage appears to show Officer Coy pacing, coughing, and perhaps even vomiting. The female officer can be seen putting up crime tape.
Five minutes into the footage, no one appears to be helping Hill. In fact, another officer who arrives makes a different suggestion.
“Let’s cuff him up,” he can be heard saying.
It is more than seven minutes into the video before more officers arrive, but it’s still not clear whether anyone is helping Hill.
But it seems Officer Coy already was starting to reflect on what had happened.
“I gotta figure out what I missed,” he said.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. The following body-worn camera video is from Columbus Division of Police Officer Adam Coy on Dec. 22, 2020. The video shows Coy fatally shooting Andre' Hill as well as the moments leading up to and following the shooting. The video also contains strong language. Again, VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
On Thursday, Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan recommended termination for Coy.
Coy will have a hearing with the Director of Public Safety Ned Pettus Jr. on Monday. Pettus will announce a decision after the hearing.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is handling the investigation.
Franklin County prosecutor Ron O'Brien has appointed Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost as a special prosecutor in the case.