The family of a young black American man shot dead by police while he was in bed will file a complaint, his lawyer told AFP on Friday, a case that arouses anger in Ohio. Donovan Lewis, 20, died early Tuesday morning in Columbus, the capital of this state in the northeastern United States.
A video from the body camera of one of the agents, who had an arrest warrant, shows a police officer accompanied by a dog opening the door of a room and almost immediately shooting the young man who was in a bed. An investigation was opened, and Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther promised “full transparency” about the “tragic death of Donovan Lewis.”
“The family will file a complaint,” said the services of his lawyer, Rex Elliott, without further details. He also denounced in a press release “an excessive and absolutely unnecessary use of force.”
“Shot by shot, the (body camera) video reveals the truth: Three white police officers accompanied by an aggressive canine squad dog shot an unarmed 20-year-old in cold blood as he stood up in bed according to police orders,” he said.
No weapon was found near him.
Contacted by AFP, Columbus police could not be immediately reached. His boss, Elaine Bryant, quoted by the media, said the officer fired when Donovan Lewis appeared to raise his arm and hold something in his hand. Only one e-cigarette was found near him, she said.
This weekend demonstrations are planned in Columbus to “support the family”, “open a debate on police brutality” and “demand justice for Donovan Lewis”, Ramón Obey II, from the JUST organization, which advocates for social justice.
On Friday, students gathered on the Ohio State University campus and chanted “Say his name: Donovan Lewis,” according to photos and videos posted on Twitter.
The event remembers other deaths of black people during interactions with the police, such as that of George Floyd, tragedies that sparked a large movement against racism and police brutality in 2020.
Source: BFM TV
