A retired Columbus police officer changed his plea Thursday to a charge of reckless homicide in the 2022 shooting death of 20-year-old Donovan Lewis in the Hilltop neighborhood.
Ricky Anderson pleaded guilty in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas with an Alford plea. That means he acknowledged that there is enough evidence to support a conviction without him admitting guilt.
Prosecutors dropped a murder charge.
Ben Cooper, representing Lewis' family, said he believes this is the first time an Ohio police officer has pleaded guilty to homicide for something done while on duty.
"It is certain justice, but it is also partial justice. And those who love Donovan will have a chance to tell the judge about his life and what's been lost," Cooper said.
But Lewis' mother, Rebecca Duran, said she doesn't feel that "justice" is the right word.
"I know that we need to look at it as a win. He is guilty. He has (pleaded) guilty, but it is not a win. It's not even near what I feel like should have happened or what Donovan deserved," Duran said.
Anderson was indicted in 2023 for shooting Lewis on Aug. 30, 2022. Anderson, a police dog handler, was helping serve a warrant for Lewis' arrest during a 2 a.m. raid at his Hilltop apartment.
Body camera video showed Anderson shooting Lewis in his bed a moment after he woke up. Anderson said he believed that Lewis had a gun. It turned out Lewis had a vape pen in his hand.
Duran said she believed that prosecutors could have gotten a conviction on the murder charge, but her family didn't want to risk Anderson being acquitted in a trial.
"There's no joy in this, none. There's no joy that Donovan is not here with us," Duran said. "It could never be enough, but we'll take the guilty."
Duran has spent the past four years advocating for changes in police policy. She said that almost immediately after Lewis' death, Columbus police announced they would have more people sign off before serving overnight warrants.
Duran said that change isn't permanent, but she's been working with Columbus City Hall to get an ordinance passed that would put more checks and balances on warrants.
She said when this case ends, she will continue to advocate for change.
Civil cases filed by the family remain ongoing. As part of Anderson's plea, he cannot dispute that he caused Lewis' death and that he was reckless.
Anderson will be sentenced at a later date. He could get probation or up to three years in prison.
Lewis' family is calling for the maximum sentence.
The prosecution and defense attorneys declined to comment on Thursday, saying they would make statements when Anderson is sentenced.
