Former Columbus police officer indicted in Donovan Lewis killing

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A former Columbus police officer has been indicted on murder and reckless homicide charges, ABC 6 has learned.

Ricky Anderson is accused of killing 20-year-old Donovan Lewis on Aug. 30, 2022.

ALSO | Body-camera video shows deadly police confrontation with Donovan Lewis

A police spokesman said at the time that Anderson and several other uniformed officers were serving a felony warrant for domestic violence, assault, and weapons-related incidents on the second floor of an apartment complex in the Hilltop area.

During a news conference on Friday, the attorney for the family of Lewis said Anderson had a "less than stellar career."

"It's a great day because the criminal process has begun," attorney Rex Elliott said.

Body-camera video showed officers inside the apartment on Sullivant Avenue, including one opening a bedroom door and a moment later, a man moving in his bed before an officer shot him.

Lewis's mother said the process to get to an indictment in the nearly year-old case has been rough.

"The delays and all that have allowed (Anderson) to get away from this," Lewis's mother Rebecca Duran said.

Anderson's personnel file shows previous department policy violations before his fatal interaction with Lewis.

MORE | Columbus police chief changes policy, restricts execution of overnight warrants

He was found to be out of policy nine times:

April 2006: Violation of police rules, orders

January 2013: Violation of police rules, orders

January 2018: Internal investigation

July 2018: Use of taser

December 2018: Internal investigation

February 2019: Internal investigation

February 2019: Internal investigation

March 2019: Internal investigation

December 2019: Internal investigation

He also had 10 citizen complaints, but only two were sustained.

ALSO | Donovan Lewis' family celebrates his 21st birthday with vigil outside CPD headquarters

According to his personnel file, Anderson was fired and reinstated in 2004. He was at the center of an investigation after he was accused of cashing special-duty checks for a job he didn't work. Criminal charges were filed against Anderson but were later dropped after he repaid BankOne and went through a diversion program. A second officer also was charged following the investigation.

Anderson is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.

FOP Chief Brian Steel issued a statement shortly after news of Anderson's indictment spread:

"While the grand jury plays an important role in our system of justice, the grand jurors only hear the evidence the prosecutor wants it to hear. There is no defense attorney, no cross examination, no judge, essentially no rules. An indictment is far easier to secure than a conviction, which may also explain why Franklin County Prosecutor (Gary) Tyack appointed special prosecutors to this case -- to save his office the embarrassment of another acquittal."

Anderson's attorney, Mark Collins, also released a statement Friday morning, that read in part:

"To be clear, we fully anticipated this – with the grand jury process being under the dominion and control of the Special Prosecutors. This case is not about if Ricky Anderson made the decision to use deadly force, but why he made the decision to use deadly force. As we progress through litigation, the evidence will show that it was because he was justified in doing so."