Buckeye Reporter

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced this morning that he is returning the ongoing prosecution of former Columbus Police Officer Adam Coy to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office.

“This transition will help maintain consistency in prosecutorial efforts,” Yost said. “It’s what’s best for the case and what’s best for the state of Ohio.”

On Dec. 22, 2020, while responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle outside a residence on Oberlin Drive, Coy encountered Andre Hill and fired his service weapon. Hill, 47, was struck four times and died of his injuries.

The Columbus Division of Police requested that the attorney general’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) investigate the fatal officer-involved shooting, and the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office appointed Yost’s Special Prosecution Section to prosecute the case.

Assistant Attorney General Anthony Pierson, who was named the lead special prosecutor, presented BCI’s investigation to a grand jury, which indicted Coy on murder and other charges.

On May 11, Pierson resigned from the Yost’s office to become deputy chief counsel for Franklin County. Yost’s decision to withdraw from the case and return it to Franklin County means Pierson’s work can continue uninterrupted. The move will be formalized by a court filing in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

Coy’s trial is currently on a delay until at least July 12 as Coy, who has been diagnosed with cancer, undergoes treatment.

BCI will continue to lead the investigation of the case and work to support the prosecution. Once the case has been adjudicated, BCI’s investigation will be posted on the attorney general’s website along with other fatal officer-involved shooting cases.

Original source can be found here.