Ex-Columbus cop Adam Coy testifies in Andre Hill shooting trial

A former Columbus police officer said he fired four shots at a man coming out of a Northwest Side garage in December 2020 because he was terrified he was going to die.

Adam Coy, 47, took the stand on Monday afternoon in defense of himself in his trial in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on charges of murder, assault and reckless homicide in the December 22, 2020, fatal shooting of 47-year-old Andre Hill, who was unarmed.

Coy tearfully described the shooting, saying he pulled his gun, shouted “gun” and fired four shots after seeing Hill raise what Coy said was a revolver in his right hand.

“What did you think would happen, Adam?” asked Mark Collins, one of Coy’s attorneys.

“I thought I was going to die,” Coy replied.

After seeing Hill fall to the ground and look for the revolver he thought he had seen, Coy said he saw a set of keys on the sidewalk.

“I knew at that moment I had made a mistake,” Coy said.

“If you had seen keys in his hand, you would have fired a gun,” Collins asked.

“No sir, I wouldn’t do that,” Coy replied.

Deputy Chief Attorney Anthony Pierson questioned Coy about why Coy did not use the speaker system in his cruiser to address Hill before approaching the garage.

Pierson repeatedly asked Coy what he said and did in an attempt to confront Hill before the shooting.

“Would you say he was following your orders?” Pierson asked.

“Partially, sir,” Coy replied.

Coy also said Hill did not walk like a “normal person” who waved his arms as he walked.

“He was walking with his right hand behind his legs,” Coy said.

“Would Mr. Hill still be alive if he were subservient to you?” Pierson asked Coy, who was not allowed to answer after an objection from Collins was upheld by the judge.

During the approximately 90 minutes of testimony, Coy was never asked about his record as a police officer. Coy’s personnel file showed 90 citizen complaints filed against Coy in his 19 years with the division.

In 2012, Coy was given a 160-hour suspension after an internal investigation and hearing found he used excessive force during a traffic stop.

The investigation revealed that Coy struck a suspect’s head against a cruiser when the suspect “tense” while handcuffed.

“I saw small actions and movements… in an inflated manner due to my lack of focus,” Coy said in the study.

Jurors in the trial will hear Tuesday from another expert on police brutality called on Coy’s behalf. Prosecutors are expected to bring in an expert on police use of force to respond after the defense rests their case.

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