The family of a man shot this week by DeKalb County police officers responding to the wrong home issued a statement Wednesday afternoon, saying they are “still trying to make sense of the events.”
Just after 7:30 p.m. Monday, three DeKalb County police officers responded to a burglary call on Boulderwoods Drive. They mistakenly stopped at the home of Chris and Leah McKinley, believing it matched the "physical description" of the house in the 911 call, and entered the rear of the home through an unlocked door, officials said.
In the following moments, two of the officers opened fire — killing the family's dog, shooting Chris McKinley in the leg and wounding a fellow officer.
In a brief statement released Wednesday through their attorney Mark Bullman, the McKinleys said they were thankful for the support they’ve received.
“The family would ask for your prayers and patience, as they recover; Chris from the gunshot wound, his wife from the trauma of seeing her husband shot and dog killed in their home by DeKalb Police, and the whole family from the loss of their dog,” the emailed statement said.
The family also released a photo of their dog, Yanna, a 10-year-old boxer. A “special friend” of the couple’s 1-year-old son, she was shot three times, the statement said.
All three officers involved in the incident — Travis Jones, Timothy Harden and Quhanna Lloyd — have been placed on paid administrative leave. Jones, who was shot in the hip, was in stable condition Wednesday at Grady Memorial Hospital.
McKinley was released from the hospital Tuesday morning.
A neighbor told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that McKinley, his wife and their son were watching a movie in their living room prior to the incident.
McKinley went to the back door to investigate after hearing voices, said the neighbor, Tama Colson.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating.
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