Ohio police shoot, kill man in bed during search

There was no justification for a Columbus police officer to fatally shoot a man lying on his bed while offers tried to serve warrants, a lawyer representing the slain man's family said Thursday as he demanded immediate changes to policing in the city and promised a lawsuit. Attorney Rex Elliott also disputed claims by Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant that Donovan Lewis was holding a vape pen in his hand when he was shot. "How many more lives are going to be lost to this type of reckless activity? How many more young Black lives will be lost?" Elliott said at a press event attended by multiple members of Lewis' family. "How many more families like Donovan's will need to appear at news conferences like this one before our leaders do enough to put a stop to these barbaric killings?" Lewis, 20, died at a hospital following the shooting early Tuesday morning. Columbus police say officers had gone to the apartment around 2 a.m. to arrest Lewis on multiple warrants including domestic violence, assault and felony improper handling of a firearm. Lewis was Black and the officers were white. Police took two other men in the apartment into custody without incident. A police dog was unleashed in the apartment during the search. Police body-cam footage shows Officer Ricky Anderson opening a bedroom door in an apartment and immediately shooting Lewis, who was in bed. Lewis appeared to be holding the vape pen before he was shot, said Columbus police chief Elaine Bryant. No weapon was found. Bryant has not addressed whether police believed the device was a weapon, a determination that will come during the probe by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Anderson has been placed on leave under city procedure. A message was left with the police union representing Anderson. Elliott disputed this version of events, saying it's unclear from bodycam footage if Lewis was holding anything. He also said Anderson shot well before he could have perceived a threat. "There is absolutely no way in the timeframe between when the door was opened and the gun was fired that Officer Anderson perceived a potential gun in his hand, got through to his brain, and then reacted by shooting his weapon," Elliott said. Elliott also questioned the need for an early-morning operation. "The reality is that felony warrants are executed every day in daylight hours," he said. Bryant has said the city is committed to holding officers responsible if there was any wrongdoing but the state investigation needs to play out.