Donovan Lewis case: Charges against former Columbus police officer Ricky Anderson explained

Ricky Anderson, a former Columbus K-9 officer, was indicted on murder and reckless homicide charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Donovan Lewis inside his Hilltop apartment last year.

This comes a little under a year after Anderson shot 20-year-old Lewis once in the abdomen after 2 a.m. on Aug. 22, 2022, while there with other officers to serve Lewis multiple arrest warrants.

What do the charges against Ricky Anderson mean?

According to the indictment, Anderson is charged under Ohio's felony murder rule, meaning he's accused of causing Lewis' death as the result of committing a felony, in this case, felonious assault.

The indictment charges Anderson with causing Lewis' death "as a proximate result of (Anderson) committing or attempting to commit an offense of violence that is a felony of the first or second degree, to wit: Felonious Assault."

Under count two, the charge alleges Anderson "did recklessly cause the death of Donovan Latrell Lewis."

A jury would be instructed to rule on each charge separately, said Robert Barnhart, a law professor at Capital University Law School.

"You start with your most serious one and then work your way down," said Barnhart a former grand jury prosecutor.

"You would tell the jury "I think we have enough evidence to charge the individual with intentional murder. However, you can also prosecute them for reckless homicide, a lesser offense."

Donovan Lewis case:Ex-Columbus police officer indicted with murder in 2022 shooting death of Donovan Lewis

If convicted of murder, Anderson faces a 15 years-to-life sentence plus a three-year gun specification.

The reckless homicide charge carries a nine-month-to-three years prison sentence, plus a three-year gun specification.