Unarmed Black man shot dead by Ohio police officer while holding a cell phone

Trigger warning: Police brutality, Race-motivated violence 

An unarmed Black man was fatally shot in Columbus, Ohio, by a police officer, just weeks after another unarmed Black man was shot dead in the city. Mayor Andrew Ginther confirmed a Black man had been shot dead by the cops after 1:30 a.m. in the morning. The victim was identified as Andre Maurice, a 47-year-old African-American. The cop who shot the man was identified as Adam Coy, on Tuesday morning by the Columbus Police Department, reported The Hill. Andrew Ginther hit out at the cops after the culpable officer failed to activate the body cameras which meant audio of the incident hasn't been captured. The video was turned on only after the shooting and it is evident that the officer had failed to provide first aid after shooting the Black man. "Our community is exhausted," Ginther told reporters while addressing the incident. He confirmed the cops had the video of the incident but didn't have audio. The Mayor said the video would be released to the public soon and said it was evident cops failed to provide first aid to the victim. No weapon was recovered from the man or the scene, reported People. 

"It is unacceptable to me and the community that the officers did not turn on their camera," said Ginther during the press conference. "Let me be clear, if you're not going to turn on your body-worn camera, you cannot serve and protect the people of Columbus." The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is conducting the probe. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther called for Coy’s immediate termination. “Columbus Division of Police’s core values are integrity, passion, accountability, respect, and excellence. But [from] the body-worn camera footage we’ve seen, these values were absent and not on display while Mr. Hill laid dying,” he said in a statement.

The incident happened after someone dialed 911 and informed emergency services that a man had been sitting in an SUV for an extended period of time while repeatedly turning the ignition on and off. The cops arrived to investigate the scene and saw an open garage door with a man inside. He was holding a cell phone and approached the cops. The police officer/s shot him as he approached them. He had no weapon on him. He was rushed to the hospital where he died an hour later. "The preliminary investigation indicates the man shot was visiting someone at the home. A weapon was not recovered at the scene," confirmed the state's Department of Public Safety in a statement. 

This is the second African-American person shot dead by police officers in Ohio in just weeks. As we reported, A 23-year-old Black man was shot and killed by police as he tried to enter his own home in an incident in Columbus, Ohio earlier this month. Casey Goodson was returning from the dentist with food for his family when he was shot. Goodson fell into the kitchen, where his 5-year-old brother and his 72-year-old grandmother found him lying on the ground with a Subway sandwich, stated family attorney Sean Walton. His attorney said Goodson had committed no crimes, had no criminal background, and wasn't the target of any investigation either.

It was sheriff's deputy Jason Meade who shot and killed Casey Goodson. He was working for a fugitive task force and was reportedly investigating a man with a gun when he shot the 23-year-old. Casey Goodson wasn't the man Meade had been looking for but Goodson was shot as he turned the key to his house. Jason Meade is a 17-year veteran of the Franklin County Sheriff's Office but was working with the Marshal's fugitive task force and on the lookout for violent offenders.