Former Columbus officer pleads guilty to reckless homicide in Black man's 2022 death

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A former Ohio police officer who fatally shot a Black man lying in bed pleaded guilty Wednesday to reckless homicide, the lesser of the two charges he faced in the shooting four years ago.

Ricky Anderson entered what is known as an Alford plea, acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to support a conviction without admitting guilt. In exchange, the state agreed to drop a murder charge, according to the Franklin County prosecuting attorney.

Anderson was a K-9 officer with the Columbus Police Department when he killed Donovan Lewis, 20, in August 2022.

Police have said officers went to Lewis’ apartment around 2 a.m. that morning to arrest him on multiple warrants, including for domestic violence, assault and felony improper handling of a firearm. Anderson’s attorneys have said evidence at trial would have shown that he was justified in using deadly force. An attorney for Lewis’ family has said body-camera footage appears to show Anderson firing within a second of opening the bedroom door where Lewis was sleeping. The family has a pending civil suit against the former officer.

The U.S. Justice Department agreed in 2021 to review Columbus Police Department practices after a series of fatal police shootings of Black people — including the April 2021 killing of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant — and the city’s response to racial injustice protests in 2020.

Anderson will be sentenced at a later date. His sentence could range from probation to three years in prison, defense attorney Mark Collins said.

An attorney for Lewis’ family said the officer’s plea was not enough.

“We acknowledge a police officer finally admitting he recklessly killed a young man. But nothing that happens to him will bring Donovan back. He lives his life while Donovan’s family will suffer his loss for the rest of theirs. Is this truly justice?” Rex H. Elliott said.