Outrage following the killing of a black man in his bed by a police officer in Ohio

The family of a young black American man who was shot and killed by police while he was in bed will file a lawsuit, his lawyer said Friday, Sept. 2, in a lawsuit that sparked outrage in Ohio. Donovan Lewis, 20, died early Tuesday morning in Columbus, the capital of this northeastern US state. A video from the body camera of one of the officers who obtained the arrest warrant shows a policeman opening the door to a room with a dog, then immediately shooting the teenager in a bed.

An investigation was opened and Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginter pledged “Full Transparency” On top of that ‘The Tragic Death of Donovan Lewis’. “Families will complain”, the services of his lawyer, Rex Elliott, said without further details. The latter had condemned in a press release “Excessive and totally unnecessary use of force”. “Shot by shot, video (from body camera) Revealing the truth: Three white police officers, along with an aggressive police dog team, shot and killed an unarmed 20-year-old man who got out of bed to comply with police orders.he said.

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Contacted by AFP, Columbus police could not immediately be reached. Its boss, Elaine Bryant, was quoted by the media as saying the officer opened fire when Donovan Lewis had his arm up and was holding something in his hand. Only an electronic cigarette was found near him.

Rallies are planned for this weekend in Columbus “Support the Family”, “Open the Debate on Police Brutality” And “Justice for Donovan Lewis”, Raman Obi II of Just, an organization that campaigns for social justice, told AFP. Students chanted on the Ohio State University campus Friday “Say His Name: Donovan Lewis”, according to photos and videos posted on Twitter. The event brings to mind other deaths of black people during interactions with police, tragedies that have sparked a larger movement against racism and police brutality in 2020.