Columbus inspector general to investigate Donovan Lewis shooting, 2 other police shootings
The new watchdog agency over the Columbus Division of Police will investigate the three recent shootings by city police officers, including the fatal shooting of Donovan Lewis.
The city Civilian Police Review Board unanimously passed a motion Tuesday directing Columbus Inspector General Jacqueline Hendricks to investigate the three shootings that took place in an eight-day span, Aug. 22-30, whether or not a complaint has been filed.
The inspector general’s office will wait until the criminal investigations into those incidents are completed before opening administrative misconduct investigations.
A closer look:A timeline of the Columbus police fatal shooting of Donovan Lewis
Many of the review board members present at the meeting brought up the recent police shootings. Both the Rev. Charles Tatum, of Good Shepherd Baptist Church, and the Rev. Rich Nathan, pastore of Vineyard Columbus, said they have members of the community asking about how the board will respond to the recent police shootings.
“I don't have any answers. It would be just great to be able to say to our community here's the way the process is working and the board is doing what the voters expected the board to do,” Nathan said.
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Nathan and other board members suggested not waiting for a complaint to be filed and elevating high-profile cases like these to discussion items during board meetings.
“In my head, the problem occurs if the (officer) is not indicted. Then the citizens are looking at us, saying, 'What happened?'” said Willard McIntosh, another review board member and a retired Columbus police officer. “If the person is indicted, then it’s going to be OK, I think. I get a lot of questions from friends and family, and they feel like we’re on this now. Not so quick.”
Investigations opened after Columbus officer fatally shot Donovan Lewis
Lewis died early Aug. 30 after Columbus K-9 officer Ricky Anderson fired a single gunshot into the 20-year-old's bedroom almost immediately after opening the bedroom door. Anderson and several other officers were trying to arrest Lewis on multiple felony and misdemeanor warrants, including charges of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) is looking into the shooting of Lewis and the Aug. 24 nonfatal police shooting of a 17-year-old male, one of two armed passengers who jumped out of a car during a traffic stop around 3:30 p.m. at the intersection of East Main Street and Seymour Avenue. The other male was arrested after a foot pursuit.
Those investigations are likely to take several months to complete. Once finished, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s office will take the cases before a grand jury.
Ohio BCI declined to investigate the Aug. 22 incident when an officer responding to a report of a group of armed men at the Wedgewood Apartments complex in the Hilltop shot at — but did not hit — either of two fleeing suspects. The Columbus Division of Police's Critical Incident Response Team will conduct an internal review.
Donovan Lewis shooting:Columbus police release body camera footage of fatal police shooting in the Hilltop
Inspector General opens 50 investigations into Columbus police
Meanwhile, Inspector General Hendricks reported her office has already opened 50 investigations into complaints of alleged misconduct by Columbus Division of Police officers — including 10 alleged excessive use-of-force cases — in its less than two months of operation.
Hendricks briefed the board on her office’s opened investigations for the first time since taking office on July 11.
Per a charter amendment voters approved in November 2020, the inspector general is tasked with investigating allegations of misconduct against Columbus police officers and making recommendations to the Civilian Police Review Board. The volunteer board then decides whether to pass recommendations — including recommendations about discipline — on to the city’s public safety director or police chief.
News:Columbus Inspector General's office quietly opens to take complaints about police misconduct
The city's public safety director or police chief could then take action based on those recommendations, as long as the actions comply with the police union’s collective bargaining agreement.
Between July 11 and Sept. 2, the inspector general’s office received 251 complaints, mostly via its hotline, and closed 165 of those complaints. Hendricks said many of those closed complaints were people trying to contact the police or they were uninformed about what the office does. She said 36 complaints are pending while the office gathers more information.
The office has not closed any investigations thus far.
The inspector general’s office is working with two different 90-day deadlines. Complaints against an officer must be filed within 90 days of the incident, in compliance with the city’s contract with the police union. Then, it is the office of the inspector general’s policy to close a case within 90 days.
News:Protesters march in Downtown Columbus after death of Donovan Lewis
“Come the month of October, you’re going to see a lot of cases that I will share with you,” Hendricks told the board.
But Hendricks said a case could remain open if more information is needed. And her office could pause an investigation while a criminal investigation is running its course, she said.
The 90-day deadline to file a complaint concerned some board members, which is why they voted to direct Hendricks to open investigations into the shootings but pause them for now until Ohio BCI and Columbus police CERT complete their investigations.
Donovan Lewis fatal shooting:Family's lawyer Rex Elliott criticizes Columbus officer
The newly established civilian review of police is still getting off the ground and ironing out some kinks. Hendricks said her office only got direct access to some of the police records they need in late August and there is still at least one police database to which her office is still seeking access.
"It's a learning process sometimes," Hendricks said.
The Inspector General's office can be reached at 614-645-9601. The office has a hotline set up to receive citizen complaints about alleged misconduct by Columbus Division of Police officers that can be reached at 614-645-9600.
jlaird@dispatch.com
@LairdWrites
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Donovan Lewis shooting to be probed by Columbus inspector general
