COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A murder trial for a former Columbus Division of Police officer accused of fatally shooting an unarmed Black man in December 2020 has been postponed yet again.

For the third time in two years court proceedings for a former CPD officer who is charged with murder after shooting and killing Andre’ Hill, is postponed, according to Franklin County Court of Common Pleas documents. Wednesday’s status hearing at 9 a.m. was scheduled in September after a motion was filed by Adam Coy’s defense team, which asked that the trial be moved to Feb. 20, 2024.

The trial has now been pushed back to October.

Coy is on trial for the murder of Hill, who was shot on Dec. 22, 2020, in the 1000 block of Oberlin Drive in the northwest Columbus neighborhood of Cranbrook. Officers responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle in the area and spotted Hill inside an open garage.

Body camera video showed officers approaching the open garage with flashlights. Hill was in the garage and walked towards officers with a phone held up in one hand. His other arm was at his side. Coy drew his gun and shot Hill.

According to the video, nine seconds passed from the time Hill was illuminated by a flashlight in the garage until he was shot. Since there was no audio during the first 60 seconds of the video, it is unknown what was said during that time.

As was the case in April when the second postponement took place, the defense asked for a continuance due to Coy being diagnosed with classical Hodgkin lymphoma and his corresponding treatment schedule, which was to continue through June 2023.

But September’s motion states that Coy’s chemotherapy caused Coy to experience “hallucinations and extreme fatigue, rendering him inaccessible to defense counsel,” and as a result, unavailable to assist in his defense. The motion also stated that Coy’s cancer has progressed into refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma, which means the cancer did not respond to treatment.

The defense counsel said in September that due to the myriad of side effects from the treatments, the earliest Coy would be available to assist in his defense would be mid-to-late January. If unsuccessful, additional treatment would have to be explored beyond January.

Attorney’s said today in court that Coy is currently on bed rest, immuno-compromised and not physically able to stand trial after undergoing two recent surgeries.

Hill’s family was also in court and asked the judge to move forward with the February trial date that was originally proposed in the September motion. The judge moved the trial to October, noting it would not be fair for Coy to stand trial while he is still very ill.

“Mr. Adam Coy gets all the treatment in the world and another Christmas at home with his family and we don’t get that,” said Hill’s former wife, Michelle Stewart.

Coy, who was indicted in Feb. 2021, is charged with murder in the commission of a felony, felonious assault, dereliction of duty for failure to turn on his body camera, and dereliction of duty for failure to inform his fellow officer that he felt Hill presented a danger.

The initial trial date was rescheduled in Oct. 2021 to March 2022. A judge also denied Coy’s attorneys’ request in Aug. 2021 to change the location of the trial. 

It was revealed shortly after the shooting that Coy’s employment history included complaints in 2012 regarding his use of force during arrests. He also received commendations in 2015 and 2018.

After Hill’s shooting, Coy was relieved of duty, and Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther has called for Coy to be terminated for not turning on his body camera before the shooting and for failing to render medical aid to Hill.

Coy was fired from the force one week later and Hill’s family reached a $10 million settlement with the city the following year. Columbus City Council then passed legislation named after Hill to regulate the use of body cameras. It also would require medical aid to be rendered in police shootings.

The Attorney General’s Office took the lead on prosecuting the case before handing it over to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office.