SAVANNAH — A former Savannah Police Department officer accused of shooting and killing a man during a patrol stop in 2022 was indicted on murder charges Wednesday by a Chatham County grand jury.
Ernest Ferguson faces three counts of felony murder and two counts of providing a false statement related to the death of Saudi Lee, a 31-year-old Savannah resident. Lee was shot four times in the back after Ferguson and another officer approached and questioned him about his walking in the middle of a city street in June 2022.
The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, with its findings turned over to the Chatham District Attorney’s office in August 2022. The probe was one of five into officer-involved shootings involving the Savannah Police that year. Chatham DA Shalena Cook Jones dismissed the other four cases in March 2023.
Jones said the indictment of Ferguson was the culmination of two-plus years of work by investigators and an example of “justice delayed is not justice denied.” She noted that her office received needed information on the case as recently as two weeks ago.
“Decisions like these are never easy and are hard to make, and they must be made with the utmost care and expertise,” she said. “Our office has a dual responsibility to build trust and cultivate good working relationships with our law enforcement partners, which happens about 99% of the time, but we also have an equal responsibility to ensure that those who violate the law and betray the public trust while serving are treated like everyone else under the law and that they are not beyond the reach of accountability.”
Savannah government officials declined comment on the indictment Wednesday, although Mayor Van Johnson has been outspoken in the past that officers who violate the law should face consequences.
Ferguson is no longer employed by the Savannah Police. He was fired in October 2022 after an arrest for driving under the influence. He was on administrative leave because of the Lee shooting at the time. Ferguson is currently living in Texas.
Lee’s family issued a statement on Ferguson’s indictment late Wednesday afternoon.
“Justice for Saudi has been far too long in coming, and we miss him every single day. The grand jury’s indictment today is finally one step toward justice,” read the statement. “We look forward to a jury holding Officer Ferguson accountable for murdering Saudi and taking him away from us and all the people who loved him.”
Lee’s parents filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Ferguson and the city of Savannah in June. The suit cited public records that chronicled Ferguson’s history of aggressive on-the-job behavior.
He was investigated for nine use-of-force incidents while working as prison guard in 2020 and 2021. During his time with the Savannah Police, several residents filed complaints about his policing style.
The district attorney said Wednesday that Ferguson unlawfully stopped, detained and interrogated Lee before the shooting. Jones said the evidence in the case included police body camera footage of the incident and called the video a “critical piece” to the prosecution. She shared no details and said her office would not release the video.
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