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- Anderson entered an Alford plea in Franklin County Common Pleas Court; accepted prosecutors had evidence but denied factual guilt.
- Police served warrants at the apartment during an early-morning operation on Aug. 30, 2022, tied to domestic violence, assault and firearm mishandling allegations.
- Attorneys say body-camera footage shows Anderson firing almost immediately after the bedroom door opened; defense argues deadly force would have been justified.
- Plea deal avoids murder trial; sentencing could range from probation to three years in prison, defense attorney said.
- Family's civil lawsuit continues; an Ohio appeals court allowed portions to proceed, noting factual disputes over legal protection of deadly force.
Former Columbus, Ohio, police officer Ricky Anderson has pleaded guilty to reckless homicide in the 2022 shooting death of Donovan Lewis, bringing the criminal case to a close more than four years after the 20-year-old Black man was fatally shot inside his apartment.
Anderson entered an Alford plea Wednesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Under that type of plea, he accepted that prosecutors had enough evidence to obtain a conviction but did not admit that he was factually guilty. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the murder charge he had been facing.
The case stems from an early-morning police operation on Aug. 30, 2022, when officers went to Lewis’ Columbus apartment to serve warrants connected to allegations including domestic violence, assault and improper handling of a firearm.
Anderson, who was working as a Columbus police K-9 officer at the time, fired his weapon shortly after entering Lewis’ bedroom. Lewis was in bed when the shooting occurred.
The circumstances surrounding those final moments became a central issue in the case. Attorneys representing Lewis’ family have argued that police body-camera footage shows Anderson firing almost immediately after the bedroom door opened.
Anderson’s defense, meanwhile, maintained that evidence presented at trial would have supported the officer’s position that he was justified in using deadly force.
CNN reported Friday that the plea agreement removes the prospect of a murder trial, but Anderson still faces sentencing. His punishment could range from probation to three years in prison, according to his defense attorney.
The criminal case is not the only legal battle stemming from Lewis’ death. His family has continued pursuing a civil lawsuit against Anderson. An Ohio appeals court ruled in June that portions of the case could move forward, finding factual disputes remained over whether Anderson’s use of deadly force was legally protected.
The plea has also failed to resolve the family’s broader questions about accountability. Attorney Rex H. Elliott, who represents Lewis’ family, said the agreement could not undo the loss suffered by Lewis’ relatives.
The shooting occurred amid heightened scrutiny of policing in Columbus. The U.S. Justice Department had already opened a review of Columbus police practices following several fatal shootings of Black people and the city’s response to racial justice protests.
The family’s civil suit against Anderson remains pending, leaving one avenue still open as the criminal case winds toward its conclusion.
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