Ohio attorney general is appointed special prosecutor in death of Andre' Hill

COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has been appointed a special prosecutor in the death of Andre' Hill.

Outgoing Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien made a filing in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Thursday morning, appointing Yost and any assistants designated by him "a special assistant to the Prosecuting Attorney … regarding the fatal shooting death" of Hill.

Hill was shot and killed by Columbus police officer Adam Coy early Tuesday. Coy was responding to a non-emergency call in the 1000 Oberlin Drive when he spotted Hill in an open garage. Hill approached Coy with a phone in one hand before Coy fired. Police say no weapon was recovered at the scene, and Hill was a guest at the residence.

Coy has been placed on leave, and Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther has asked for him to be fired for not properly using his body camera in the incident and for not immediately offering medical assistance to Hill, who was pronounced dead later at Riverside Methodist Hospital.

The state Bureau of Criminal Investigations is the lead agency looking into Hill's death.

O'Brien has been prosecutor since 1997, but he lost re-election in November to Gary Tyack, who is scheduled to take office on Jan. 4. Like O'Brien, Yost is a Republican, but Tyack is a Democrat.