The family of a young black American shot dead by the police while he was in bed will file a complaint, his lawyer announced on Friday, September 2, a case that arouses anger in Ohio. Donovan Lewis, 20, died at dawn on Tuesday in Columbus, the capital of this northeastern American state.
A video from the body camera of one of the officers, who had an arrest warrant, shows a policeman accompanied by a dog opening the door of a room then almost immediately shooting at the young man who was in a bed. An investigation was opened and Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther promised “total transparency” on the “tragic death of Donovan Lewis”.
Within SECONDS of encountering 20-yo Donovan Lewis, a Columbus (OH) police officer shot and killed him! Police reportedly mistook a vape in the hand of the unarmed young Black man as a weapon. pic.twitter.com/LYas1C8Wt5
—Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) September 1, 2022
“The family will file a complaint”, said the services of his lawyer, Rex Elliott, without further details. The latter had denounced in a press release “excessive and absolutely unnecessary use of force”.
“Shot by shot, the video [de la caméra-piéton] Reveals the Truth: Three White Police Officers Accompanied by an Aggressive Police Dog Squad Shot and Killed an Unarmed 20-Year-Old in Cold Blood as He Got Up in Bed Under Police Ordershe said.
Contacted by AFP, the Columbus police could not be reached immediately. Its boss, Elaine Bryant, quoted by media, claimed that the officer fired when Donovan Lewis appeared to raise his arm and hold something in his hand. Only an electronic cigarette was found near him, she said.
Rallies are planned for this weekend in Columbus to “support the family”, “open a discussion on police brutality” and “demand justice for Donovan Lewis”Ramon Obey II, of the JUST organization, which campaigns for social justice, told AFP.