(AP) – A former police officer was convicted Monday of murder in the shooting death of Andre Hill, a black man who was holding a cell phone and keys when he was killed.

Officer Adam Coy, who served nearly 20 years on the Columbus police force, shot Hill four times in a garage nearly four years ago. Coy, who is white, was fired after the shooting. He told jurors he believed Hill was holding a silver revolver that turned out to be keys.

“I thought I was going to die,” he confessed. It wasn’t until he rolled over Hill’s body and saw the keys that he realized there was no gun, Coy said through tears. “I knew at that moment I made a mistake. I was terrified.”

Coy, who was partially blocked by his grim-faced lawyers, did not visibly react to the verdict, but muffled gasps could be heard in the courtroom when it was announced. Prosecutors called for the former officer to be sentenced immediately. Franklin County Judge Stephen McIntosh instead set a Nov. 25 sentencing date.

Coy, who is undergoing cancer treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, was devastated, said defense attorney Mark Collins, who slightly shook his head “no” when the verdict was read and later vowed to appeal.

Police dashcam footage showed Hill exiting the garage of a friend’s home holding a cell phone in his left hand, his right hand not visible, seconds before he was fatally shot by Coy. It was nearly 10 minutes before officers on the scene began helping Hill, who was lying bleeding on the garage floor. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Weeks after the December 2020 shooting, the mayor forced out the police chief after a series of fatal police shootings of black men and children. Columbus later reached a $10 million settlement with Hill’s family, the largest in the city’s history. The Columbus City Council also passed Andre’s Law, which requires police officers to provide immediate medical attention to an injured suspect.

Prosecutors said Hill, 47, followed the officer’s commands and was never a threat to Coy, who now faces at least 15 years in prison. The jury also found him guilty of reckless homicide and felonious assault.

“We’re taught, ‘Do what the cops tell you to do and you can survive that encounter,'” Franklin County Deputy Prosecutor Anthony Pierson said during closing arguments. “That’s not what happened here.”

Shawna Barnett, one of Hill’s sisters, hoped the jury’s decision would send a message that police violence will not be tolerated.

“It’s been way too long, but I’m glad it’s over,” she said. “It’s time to stop. It’s time to make it right.”

Brian Steel, president of the Columbus police union, said he was shocked by the murder conviction and said it will have ripple effects for officers in Ohio and beyond.

“Your split second decision can now lead to murder,” he said. “It’s absolutely crazy.”

“Officers are willing to die for their community, they’re willing to die for this job,” Steel said. “They don’t want to go to jail for this job.”

The officer’s attorneys argued that Hill’s lack of a gun didn’t matter because Coy believed his life was in danger. “It wasn’t reckless, it was reasonable,” Collins said during the trial.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented Hill’s family, said the verdict showed that no one is above the law and sent a message that “responsibility in law enforcement is not optional.”

“Andre was an unarmed, innocent man, and his life was taken without regard to his duty to protect and serve,” Crump said in a statement.

Coy had gone to the neighborhood to investigate a complaint about someone inside a moving vehicle when he first encountered Hill sitting in an SUV. Hill told Coy he was waiting for a friend to come outside.

The officer said he thought Hill appeared dismissive and then suspicious after Hill went to a home and knocked on the door before entering the garage.

Coy said he lost sight of Hill and suspected he might try to break into the house. Coy used a flashlight to spot Hill in the garage and told him to get out, the officer testified.

When Hill walked toward him, Coy said he couldn’t see the man’s right hand and then saw what he thought was a revolver. He said he yelled, “Punch! Gun!” and then fired at Hill.

Family and friends said Hill — a father and grandfather — was devoted to his family and a savvy businessman who dreamed of one day owning his own restaurant after years of working as a chef and restaurant manager.

Coy had a long history of complaints from residents, with more than three dozen filed against him since he joined the department in 2002, according to his personnel file. A dozen of the complaints were for use of force. All but a few were marked “unsubstantiated” or “not supported”.

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