The Coy verdict marks the first time an officer has been convicted of murder in a police-involved shooting in Franklin County

COLUMBUS, OH (WCMH) – A former Columbus police officer has now been convicted of murder, assault and reckless homicide.

Adam Coy shot and killed Andre Hill in December 2020. The guilty verdict on all three charges was handed down Monday after five days of testimony and about 12 hours of deliberations.

What the jury didn’t hear in the murder trial of former Columbus police officer Adam Coy

This marks the first trial for a fatal police-involved shooting in Franklin County that has not ended in a mistrial or a not guilty verdict.

Capital University professor Rob Barnhart said Coy’s case proves there is the potential to find a 12-person jury in Franklin County willing to convict a police officer. He said he was surprised when a guilty verdict was returned on all three counts.

“So in cases where reckless homicide is on the table, you might think that jurors who might be squeamish about convicting a law enforcement officer might say, ‘Well, we don’t know if we want to say he tried to kill this guy. person or wanted to kill this person, but we are willing to say he should have acted better,” Barnhart said.

There are currently three ongoing trials in Franklin County over fatal police-involved shootings:

Barhart said that while Coy’s case does not set a precedent for future cases, it could change the attorney’s tactics.

Reactions after former Columbus police officer was found guilty of fatally shooting an unarmed man

“I think when you’re from the state and you get access, it’s not always the same prosecutors, but you get access to those prosecutors and see if the jurors talk to them and see what worked,” Barnhart said. “I mean, in theory you now have a playbook that works and you can reuse it. But you’re also dealing with the same defense team that knows you might be using the same playbook and they can adjust accordingly.”

The same defense team that represented Coy – Mark Collins and Kaitlyn Stephens – is representing law enforcement in the three pending cases. However, the prosecutors are different.

For breaking news, weather, sports and streaming video, visit NBC4 WCMH-TV.