The defense team for Adam Coy, the former Columbus police officer on trial on charges of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault for shooting and killing Andre Hill, an unarmed Black man in December 2020, finished calling witnesses in court Tuesday.
Coy testified in his defense on Monday. He told the jury he thought Hill had a revolver in his hand when he shot him four times. Hill was holding his keys.
James Scanlon, a law enforcement expert who was the defense team's last witness, told the jury that Coy's mistake was objectively reasonable, and that another officer might have made a similar decision, even though it was wrong.
On cross examination, Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Anthony Pierson asked Scanlon if Coy could have given Hill other orders instead of shooting him.
Scanlon testified there wouldn't be time if Coy thought Hill had a gun.
Below includes excerpts from Scanlon's testimony:
Pierson: So your testimony here today is that you do not believe that Mr. Coy could have said, 'show me your hands.'
Scanlon: No, I'm not saying he couldn't have. I just I'm not playing 20/20 hindsight on what he could have, should have, would have done.
Later on re-direct, defense attorney Mark Collins questioned if there is "any requirement that an officer must use verbal orders before using deadly threat or before using deadly force?"
"No," Scanlon said.
Pierson pointed out to the jury that each of the six times Scanlon has testified as a law enforcement expert, his testimony has been in support of police officers.
"That's true. I've offered to testify against police officers in criminal cases, as recently as a year ago. But I was not taken up on the offer," Scanlon said.
Collins asked Scanlon how police officers are trained to react when they think someone is threatening their lives.
Collins: Are they trained to take a second and see if that immediate perceived threat becomes a deadly threat?
Scanlon: No.
Collins: Why not?
Scanlon: Again, action beats reaction. If they perceive a lethal threat, a reasonably perceived lethal threat, they're trained to respond to that with lethal force.
Scanlon testified that officers are allowed to be mistaken, as long as their mistake is reasonable under the circumstances, with the knowledge the officer had access to at the time, without 20/20 hindsight.
Prosecutors are expected to call their own police expert on Wednesday before closing arguments.
