FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOP Capital City Lodge 9 Statement on Reckless Homicide Plea by Retired CPD Officer Ricky Anderson
COLUMBUS, OH 9/3/26— The Fraternal Order of Police, Dewey R. Stokes Capital City Lodge 9, acknowledges today’s plea by retired Columbus Police Officer Ricky Anderson to reckless homicide stemming from the 2022 line-of-duty shooting that tragically resulted in the death of Donovan Lewis. Officer Anderson will be sentenced at a later date.
This has been a difficult and deeply tragic case for everyone involved. We recognize that police officers are routinely required to make split-second decisions under extreme circumstances, often with incomplete information and while confronting rapidly evolving threats. Those decisions must be evaluated in the context in which they were made, not with the benefit of hindsight.
From the beginning, we have maintained that the original murder charge brought against Officer Anderson was an excessive and politically motivated indictment by the prior prosecutor. While we respect the judicial process, we believe today’s plea to reckless homicide more accurately reflects the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.
We applaud Prosecutor Shayla Favor for her leadership and for allowing the facts and the law to guide the resolution of this case. We also recognize the work of her assistant prosecutors in carefully evaluating the evidence and reaching a disposition that we believe is appropriate.
Nothing about today’s plea changes the fact that a young man lost his life. Our thoughts remain with Donovan Lewis’ family and all those impacted by this tragedy, including Officer Anderson, his family, the officers involved, and the Columbus community.
There are no winners in a tragedy like this.
We wish nothing but the best for everyone impacted and will continue to advocate for our officers and the communities they serve.
Brian Steel
President
Dewey R. Stokes, Capital City Lodge 9
Fraternal Order of Police