Donovan Lewis case: Family files lawsuit against Columbus police [Video]

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The family of Donovan Lewis filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Columbus and its police department.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday by law firms Cooper Elliott and Wright & Schulte, accuses the Columbus Division of Police of systemic excessive force and racial issues.

Attorney Rex Elliot alleges that recent department initiatives, such as increasing law enforcement in the Hilltop and Franklinton neighborhoods in west Columbus, deploy aggressive tactics in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

Elliott also says that the shooting death of 20-year-old Donovan Lewis “underscores the urgent need for accountability and reform within the Columbus Division of Police.”

On Aug. 20, 2022, Columbus police were at an apartment complex on Sullivant Avenue to arrest Lewis on multiple warrants including domestic violence and assault.

Police body camera footage showed Officer …