Courtney Hergesheimer
“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,” said Ohio state attorney Zach Klein on Friday (local time) US media reports according to.
As part of the comparison, the city is also naming a sports hall in Columbus after Andre Hill. His family and their lawyers thanked the city officials. Attorney Ben Crump announced that the healing process for all concerned could now begin. The broadcaster CNN reported that the compensation amount that has now been agreed – the equivalent of 8.2 million euros – is the highest in the history of the city. The city council still has to agree.
Shortly before Christmas, a local resident called the Columbus police to a garage one night. When the 47-year-old Andre Hill approached the officers after they had arrived, a white policeman opened fire. Hill – who was unarmed – was hit by four bullets and died. The policeman was released a few days after the incident and is charged with murder. He is accused of using disproportionate force, not helping the dying person and disregarding official duties.
The end of May marks the anniversary of the death of the African American George Floyd in a brutal police operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under the motto “Black Lives Matter”, there were mass demonstrations against police violence and racism for months in the USA, some of which were overshadowed by riots.