The Associated Press
DECATUR, Ga. (AP) - A DeKalb County police officer who shot a man to death has been allowed to resign instead of being fired.
Alexander Brown was initially fired after a police review board found he violated department policy when he shot Stanley Bates on Feb. 2, 2003.
Brown and another officer said Bates threatened them with a knife. But the review board and police chief Eddie Moody determined no one was in imminent danger.
Government documents show Brown dropped his appeal in exchange for Moody approving a letter of resignation that was dated Feb. 2 - one day before Brown’s firing and exactly one year after the shooting.
Brown and Officer Jerome Clay encountered Bates after Bates’ mother, Loretta Luke, called 911 to report that her son was high on drugs and trespassing at her house in south DeKalb County. The officers said Bates ignored their instructions to drop a knife and ran to the front steps, where he failed to get in the front door.
Brown said Bates then turned back toward the officers. Brown shot him three times.
Luke was just inside the closed front door and said she tried to tell the officers Bates would not harm her. She also said the officers were too far away to be threatened by him.
Police investigators concluded Brown was 35 to 40 feet from Bates. Brown claimed he was closer.
Officer Clay supported Brown’s decision to shoot and told investigators he would have fired himself but did not have a clear shot. But Clay collapsed and died after playing basketball this summer. Not being able to call Clay as a witness at his appeal hearing was a factor in his decision to drop the appeal, Brown said last week.
In the meantime, Luke said she is glad Brown is off the force. She has also filed a lawsuit against Brown.