May 17, 2021
Andre Hill’s Family Awarded $10 Million Settlement; Gym To Be Named In His Honor
The family of Andre Hill, an unarmed Black man who was killed the day before Christmas, has reached a settlement with the city of Columbus, Ohio, for $10 million.
On May 14, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced that the city has admitted wrongdoing after now-former Columbus Police Department officer Adam Coy shot Hill, The New York Times reported.
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“We understand that because of this former officer’s actions, the Hill family will never be whole,” Klein said in a statement. “No amount of money will ever bring Andre Hill back to his family, but we believe this is an important and necessary step in the right direction.”
The Hill family, represented by attorney Ben Crump, won a historic settlement—the largest settlement paid by the city.
Coy shot and killed 47-year-old Hill on sight in response to a non-emergency call about someone turning a vehicle on and off in a neighborhood, inside an open garage. Hill only had his phone out.
Coy was fired for not immediately turning on his body camera when the incident occurred and for not providing medical assistance to Hill either. Later in February, Coy was charged with the murder of Hill with felonious assault and two counts of dereliction of duty.
Coy pleaded not guilty and was released after posting a $1 million bond.
The Brentnell Community Center in Columbus will be renamed the Andre Hill Gymnasium as part of the settlement by the end of the year. Hill used to play basketball in the reaction center when he was growing up.
“That was a place that he spent a lot of time and a place that is very meaningful to their family,” Michael Wright, a member of the Hill family legal team, said. “To have that done makes them very happy.
The Hill family’s legal team, Attorney’s Richard Schulte, Wright, and Crump, thanked the city for “doing the right thing” with the settlement and renaming the gymnasium.
However, the family is still seeking justice.
“From their perspective, they are still hopeful for justice,” Wright said. “A conviction. That’s what they’re waiting for.”