Former Columbus police officer pleads guilty to reckless homicide in 2022 fatal shooting

Fox8 ^ | Sept 5, 2026 | Adam Conn, Orri Benatar

[Leaning Right]

A former Columbus police officer has pleaded guilty a little over four years after he fatally shot an unarmed man.

Ricky Anderson pleaded guilty Thursday to reckless homicide in the death of Donovan Lewis, doing so to avoid a potential murder trial. The agreement did not include a recommended prison sentence. Anderson faces up to three years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

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TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: columbus; shooting

[Leaning Right]

This was another late-night raid. The man they were looking for had charges of assault, improper handling of a firearm, and domestic violence.

The suspect was shot less than two seconds after the police opened his bedroom door. The cops said the suspect was holding a vape pen at the time.

Make of all that what you will. But if I were the prosecutor, I would not have offered that cop such a nice deal.

[FamiliarFace]

I get what you’re saying, but if you’ve ever been to that part of Columbus, you would be putting yourself in danger, even if you were minding your own business. Plenty of crime.

I’m not giving the cop permission to shoot, but I can see that he made a quick decision that was wrong.

[usurper]

I’m Okay with this, now we have shown that cops will be held accountable. Now move on the prosecutors and judges. They should not enjoy immunity for for deadly workplace decisions.

[Leaning Right]

You make a good point. Something has to be done about “catch and release” prosecutors and judges. They are no different than a food inspector who deliberately allows tainted food to be sold to the public.

The big question is what to do about trash prosecutors and judges. This won’t be an easy problem to solve.