Columbus attorneys drop case against activist arrested at protest over police killing
Prosecuting attorneys for the city of Columbus have dropped the case against an activist who used a strobing flashlight at a protest in February after a jury couldn't reach a verdict in a trial earlier this month.
Franklin County Municipal Judge Mary Kay Fenlon dismissed the case against Elizabeth Andromeda, 31 on Monday at the request of the Columbus City Attorney's Office. Columbus police had charged Andromeda with obstructing official business, accusing her of shining a strobing flashlight at an officer's face during a protest on Feb. 18.
Andromeda and others marched in the streets that night to demand a retrial of former Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Meade two days after a jury could not reach a verdict in his trial for fatally shooting Casey Goodson Jr.
Police also charged Andromeda with jaywalking related to the February march, but Fenlon found her not guilty of that charge before the trial began. Andromeda has said her wheelchair is street-legal.
Deliberating only on the obstruction charge, seven of the eight jurors indicated afterward that they voted to acquit Andromeda, according to the Columbus City Attorney's Office's motion for dismissal.
Pete Shipley, a spokesperson for Klein's office, told The Dispatch on Monday:
“We were made aware of the jury’s vote in the initial trial and decided not to move forward with a second trial on these same criminal charges in order to prioritize time and resources. The case is being dismissed. We will continue to evaluate all criminal charges stemming from protest events in the same way—on a case-by-case basis based on the facts to determine the most appropriate outcome.”
A longtime activist in Columbus, Andromeda has had a few run-ins with the police. She is a plaintiff in a civil rights lawsuit against Columbus police alleging excessive force during the summer 2020 protests. In August 2022, she and four others camped on the front lawns of city officials to protest homeless encampment sweeps. Police arrested Andromeda in Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein's front yard.
As a result, Andromeda has accused Klein, his office and Columbus police of targeting her with charges. At least 37 calls and emails leading up to Andromeda's trial called on Klein's office to drop the charges.
Klein's office has denied that they or the police targeted Andromeda. Shipley has pointed out that, besides Andromeda, others were charged for the Feb. 18 protest and the 2022 protest on officials' lawns. One man charged in the February protest is scheduled to go to trial in early August.
Jennifer Watson, a spokesperson for the Columbus Division of Police, told The Dispatch, that the Division "in no way targets anyone for any reason at any time."
In response to Andromeda's allegations that Columbus police has a unit dedicated to reviewing body camera footage and charging protesters, Watson said no such unit exists but they review footage on a case-by-case basis.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus prosecutors drop charge from protest for Jason Meade retrial
