Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said his office will file a lawsuit Friday against the U.S. Department of Justice amid an investigation over the controversial police shooting of 26-year-old Jamarion Robinson, who was shot at least 59 times in 2016.
The DA alleges the department failed to provide information related to the Aug. 5, 2016, shooting, which involved a fugitive task force made up of various metro Atlanta officers and at least one U.S. Marshal. It happened at an apartment in East Point where Robinson’s girlfriend lived.
A Fulton grand jury has also issued subpoenas for the information and for those who were on the shooting scene to appear for a hearing on Feb. 5, 2019, Howard’s office said.
Howard plans to release more information on Friday.
The shooting of Robinson, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, has long been controversial.
» PREVIOUSLY: Man shot may have struggled with mental health
Authorities have said they were trying to arrest him on a warrant for allegedly firing a gun at officers in a previous encounter. But a previous federal lawsuit filed on behalf of his mother, Monteria Robinson, in January said he posed no threat at the time of his death.
» PREVIOUSLY: Family of Jamarion Robinson files lawsuit
That complaint accused police of knocking at the apartment door, then immediately breaking it down and “spraying” with 9 mm and .40 mm submachine guns and .40 mm Glock pistols. The suit also alleged that the marshal or marshals involved with the task force tampered with evidence by handcuffing Robinson after he was dead and throwing a flash grenade into the apartment to cover up evidence.
Credit: Photo: WSB-TV
Credit: Photo: WSB-TV
The mother’s suit is against various local governments and 11 officers. It remains the subject of grappling in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, where attorneys for the defendants have been arguing against it and trying to get it thrown out.
About the Author
