A former Columbus police officer is expected to enter a plea in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man in his apartment more than four years ago.
Ricky Anderson, 63, is scheduled to appear for a hearing on Sept. 3 scheduled with about 48 hours notice.
Anderson had been charged with murder and reckless homicide in connection with the Aug. 30, 2022, shooting death of 20-year-old Donovan Lewis.
Anderson was a K-9 officer with Columbus police and part of the team that was responding to Lewis's apartment on the city's West Side. Police were trying to arrest Lewis on several outstanding warrants.
Body camera video showed officers knocking on the apartment's door around 2:30 a.m. for nearly nine minutes before two people came to the door. Officers identified
themselves as police multiple times and told the men who came to the door that Lewis needed to come outside.
When Lewis still did not emerge, Anderson released his K-9 partner to search the apartment. Video shows the K-9 going into a bedroom area and a door can be heard closing.
Officers then entered the apartment and searched before coming to the closed bedroom door. Less than one second after opening Lewis's bedroom door, Anderson – who had the leash for the canine in his left hand – fired a single shot.
Lewis is seen on the video sitting up in bed with an object in his right hand. The object was later determined to be a vape pen.
Anderson retired in bad standing after the shooting.
Lewis's estate is suing Columbus police over his death. That lawsuit remains pending.
After the shooting, Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant changed department policy so that misdemeanor arrest warrants like the ones Lewis had pending could not be served between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. without approval from a lieutenant or higher rank.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former Columbus police officer expected to enter plea in 2022 shooting
