Former Columbus officer pleads guilty to reckless homicide in Black man’s 2022 death
Sep 3, 2026, 1:03 PM
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A former police officer in Ohio who fatally shot a Black man lying in bed pleaded guilty Wednesday to reckless homicide, the lesser of two charges he faced after the shooting four years ago.
Ricky Anderson entered what is called an Alford plea, conceding there was enough evidence to support a conviction without admitting guilt. In exchange, the state agreed to drop a murder charge, according to the Franklin County prosecuting attorney.
Anderson was a K-9 officer with the Columbus Police Department when he killed Donovan Lewis, 20, in August 2022.
Police have said officers went to Lewis’ apartment around 2 a.m. that morning to arrest him on multiple warrants, including domestic violence, assault and felony improper handling of a firearm. Anderson’s attorneys have said trial evidence would show he was justified in using deadly force. A lawyer for Lewis’ family has said bodycam footage appears to show Anderson fired within a second of opening the bedroom door where Lewis was sleeping. The family has a pending civil suit against the former officer.
The U.S. Justice Department agreed in 2021 to review Columbus Police Department practices after a series of fatal police shootings of Black people — including the April 2021 killing of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant — and the city’s response to 2020 racial injustice protests.
Anderson will be sentenced at a later date. His sentence could range from probation to up to three years in prison, defense attorney Mark Collins said.
