The attorneys for the family of a Black motorist fatally shot by a Georgia police officer have released body camera footage of the incident that occurred two years ago.
Footage obtained by Atlanta Black Star shows the moment a Cobb County officer struck 28-year-old Devonte Brown multiple times in August 2021, after he was pulled over for “driving erratically” in Marietta.
In the video, Brown’s damaged vehicle is surrounded by police patrol cars at the scene, and it appears that his airbags were deployed.
“Get your hands up,” McConnell repeated. “Get your f**king hands up!”
Brown is still inside the car at this time. Moments later, Brown pressed on the gas, and the cop shot into his vehicle 12 times, civil rights attorney Harry Daniels said in a statement on Thursday, Nov. 30. Daniels argued that the officer was not “under immediate threat” when the officer opened fire.
The officer then reported that shots were fired and requested first responders to the scene. About midway through the video, law enforcement officials approached Brown’s car. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation previously said he was transferred to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“Devonte obviously got himself in a situation where he was being chased by police,” Daniels told WSB-TV. “Absolutely deadly force was not warranted in this case; I mean he was trapped. He couldn’t get away. He was blocked in. There’s no getting away and using deadly force in that situation it was completely uncalled for and in my opinion it was unlawful.”
The Cobb County Police Department responded to the video and released a statement saying that the officer was not charged.
“First and foremost, our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic event, including the family of Devonte Brown and all involved officers,” the statement said, per the outlet. “The loss of life is always a somber matter, and we approach this situation with the utmost seriousness and sensitivity.”
It continued: “Following the incident, an independent investigation was requested by Cobb Police and conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The findings of this investigation were turned over to the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office, and the case was heard by the Grand Jury. The Grand Jury concluded that there were no grounds for charges against the officer involved.”
