Bodycam footage shows the shocking moment police officers kill an unarmed man in bed after mistaking the vape pen for a gun

The family of a 20-year-old Ohio man are demanding answers after he was shot dead by Columbus police while unarmed in bed.

Donovan Lewis died in the early hours of Tuesday after the 3 a.m. raid at his home in the city’s Hilltop neighborhood, which was recorded by police body cameras.

The police knocked on the door for several minutes and handcuffed two men who came out of the apartment. They sent in a K-9, and when the dog indicated a third man was in the room, the K-9 leader opened the door, then a second later fired his gun, killing Lewis.

Rex Elliott, an attorney for the Lewis family, said Officer Ricky Anderson – who has been placed on leave pending an investigation – was “completely reckless”.

Donovan Lewis, 20, was shot dead by police in Columbus, Ohio, just before 3 a.m. Tuesday while he was lying in bed

Lewis can be seen a split second before Ricky Anderson, a K-9 handler and 30-year veteran of the Columbus Police Department, pulls the trigger

“The bodycam footage released yesterday afternoon says it all,” Elliott said.

“In literally the blink of an eye, a Columbus police officer shot and killed Donovan Lewis, an unarmed young black man who was lying alone in his bed in the middle of the night.

“As a result of this utterly reckless behavior by a Columbus police officer, a family must mourn the loss of such a young soul.”

Body camera footage shows at least three officers arriving at the Sullivant Avenue apartment complex.

They were serving a warrant for domestic violence, assault and gun-related incidents on the second floor of the apartment complex.

The video shows officers standing outside the door, knocking for at least eight minutes, and yelling inside to come out.

Two men came out of the apartment, were handcuffed and asked to sit next to a wall. An officer asks if Donovan Lewis is inside and the man replies that he doesn’t know who is inside as he was sleeping.

Two men come out of the apartment with their hands up and are tied up

Police knocked for eight minutes before the first of the two men left the apartment

One of the two was asked who else was in the apartment and said they didn’t know

A K-9 is brought in and released into the apartment, attended to by Anderson – a 30-year veteran of the force.

The dog barks at a bedroom door, indicating that there is a person inside.

Seconds later, a dog barks in a back bedroom, prompting Anderson to leash the K-9 and push open the door.

“We’re going to send that dog in,” an officer is heard saying just before Anderson pushes open the door.

The light from another officer’s gun shines on Lewis as another officer yells, “Hands!”

The K-9 is seen searching the apartment and entering the bedroom where Lewis was lying in bed

Anderson is seen holding his dog shortly after the fatal shooting

The shot was fired by Anderson (right, with the dog) less than a second after the door opened

Less than a second later, Anderson is seen firing a shot at Lewis as he begins to sit up in a bed that is pushed into the back corner of the room.

In the footage, Lewis can be seen raising his right hand towards the officers while his left hand is still near the pillow.

An officer then tells Lewis to “crawl out of here,” but the young man remains on the bed.

They enter the room and look for weapons before handcuffing him and telling him to “stop resisting.” A vape pen was found next to him.

He is carried out of the apartment and taken to a waiting ambulance.

Lewis died in hospital.

Officers stand outside the complex after the fatal shooting of Lewis

“Frame by frame, the video reveals the truth — three white officers, accompanied by an aggressive K9 dog, shot and killed an unarmed 20-year-old in cold blood as he sat up in his bed, per police orders,” Elliott said.

Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said Anderson had been placed on leave and stressed that they wanted full transparency in the investigation – which is why they released the footage.

“Donovan Lewis lost his life,” she said.

“As a parent, I sympathize and mourn his mother. I mourn with our community.

“Every day officers are placed in compromising, sometimes life-threatening situations where we have to make split-second decisions.

“As a chief, it’s my job to hold my officers accountable, but it’s also my job to offer them support and make sure I give it to them throughout the process.

“If they do the right things for the right reasons, we will support them. If they do something wrong, they will be held accountable.”