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The attorney is calling the officer-involved shooting a mistake
Attorneys for the family of an Atlanta man who was shot and killed by an Atlanta police officer claim he did not know he was confronted by law enforcement. Video obtained by The Advocate and shared with FOX 5 shows the officer in street clothes during the October incident in midtown Atlanta. The family claims that the officer did not identify himself when the argument began. Warning video may be difficult to watch.
Atlanta – The video shows the moments of a fatal officer-involved shooting in Atlanta.
The shooting happened Oct. 25 on West Peachtree Street at the 16th Street intersection in midtown Atlanta.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 35-year-old James Wilborn was shot by a plainclothes Atlanta police officer during what the Atlanta Police Department is calling “road rage.” Wilborn died at the hospital.
The officer witnessed what appeared to be road rage. A woman climbed on the hood of Wilborn’s car and fell out of it after Wilborn tried to drive away.
The GBI said the officer tried to stop Wilborn, who ignored commands. Wilborn and the officer got into a physical altercation, the GBI said, and the officer fired his weapon, wounding Wilborn.
His attorney, Minka Merritt, claims the fatal officer-involved shooting was an unjustified misunderstanding.
There is a video showing what happened when the officer confronted Wilborn. A single shot knocked Wilbourn to the ground.
Merritt says Wilborn has no weapon. He also says his client was a casualty of road rage.
The lawyer claims the incident started when an ex-girlfriend saw Wilborn sitting next to another woman who was his friend.
Merritt claims Wilborn was “terrible.” Wilborn didn’t know the Atlanta officer was actually law enforcement because he says the officer didn’t identify himself and issue commands.
James Wilborn (family picture)
Vince Champion, who leads the police union, is urging citizens to wait until all the information and more video evidence is gathered.
Now, the officer is on leave and the GBI and Fulton District Attorney have been asked to conduct a review.
Atlanta Police Department officials said the officer is on leave pending an investigation.
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