By Greg Bluestein
The Associated Press
DECATUR, Ga. — A former suburban Atlanta police officer was indicted Thursday on felony murder charges — the only charges brought so far against officers linked to a spate of deadly police-involved shootings in 2006.
Former DeKalb County officer Torrey Thompson was indicted in the September 2006 shooting death of 21-year-old Lorenzo Matthews, who was shot after running away from officers investigating an armed robbery.
Officers’ actions were deemed “justified” in the other shootings probed by a separate grand jury.
“This is not about sending a message,” said DeKalb County District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming. “It’s about making sure justice is done.”
Thompson’s attorney, William Atkins, said he was confident his client would be cleared.
“He’s a good man who did his duty — and that’s all he did,” said Atkins. “He shot a fleeing violent felon who he reasonably believed was holding a weapon.”
The Matthews shooting has long been a flashpoint for critics who say the suburban Atlanta department is too aggressive and haphazard with its use of deadly force. Matthews was one of 12 people fatally shot by police officers in 2006 — four times the number of people killed in the county by police the year before.
At one point, that year’s toll from officer-involved shootings rivaled that of New York City and Los Angeles.
DeKalb County prosecutors soon formed a special grand jury to investigate the shootings. It concluded in March that the Matthews shooting was unjustified and that Thompson should be investigated for criminal prosecution.
Matthews was shot on Sept. 12, 2006, after he fled two officers investigating an armed robbery. The officers told authorities that Matthews fled from an apartment and then later ran at them with what may have been a weapon.
The grand jury report chided Thompson for firing at Matthews while he was running away and firing again during a foot chase. At the time of his death, Matthews was unarmed and carrying only a cell phone, according to the report.
A knife was later found on a nearby trail, and the grand jury suggested it may have been planted. Keyes Fleming did not comment on the knife, saying only that an investigation is still pending.
Thompson, a 31-year-old former Marine, left DeKalb County to join the Barrow County Sheriff’s department after the shooting. He resigned Thursday before turning himself in to police.