Five Georgia officials were charged with murder for the 2019 murder Fernanado Rodriguezwho died of suffocation while handcuffed and restrained.
According to CNN, the prosecution is indicting Henry County police officers Robert Butera and Quinton Phillips and former Hampton Police officers Mason Lewis, Marcus Stroud and Gregory Bowlden of Rodriguez’s death in September 2019 outside the Imagine Music Festival at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The five police officers were charged with willful murder, double assault, one aggravated assault, and violation of the oath of office.
Five Georgia police officers were charged with the murder of Rodriguez in 2019 (Image: Twitter / @ NYPost)
Body camera footage of the incident shows Rodriguez walking down a street completely naked, moving away from officers who have tasers fired at him more than a dozen times. According to the indictment, officers also contributed to Rodriguez’s death by “stretching him out on the floor, handcuffed and handcuffed, holding him and putting pressure on his body,” in violation of state law.
Rodriguez died in a hospital days later, and a state coroner declared his death a asphyxiation murder, according to NBC News.
“Rodriguez, who lived in the Atlanta area, was walking out of the Imagine Music Festival at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton when officers met him,” the prosecutor said in a press release, according to CNN. “The officers not only held his naked body on the floor, but hit Rodriguez more than a dozen times with their tasers.”
The Rodriguez family’s family lawyer, Page godfather, told reporters that the City of Hampton has already settled a multimillion-dollar lawsuit related to the incident and expects Henry County to do the same.
Page said in a press release that the Rodriguez family were satisfied with the charges.
“Fernando’s family has patiently waited for justice on this case and is delighted that the process is now moving forward,” said Godfather. “We’re especially grateful that the officers were all charged with murder, and we think the charges match the crime.”
This is not the first time this year a Georgia police officer has been charged with murder in a previous incident.
Last month, two other Georgia state police officers were charged with deaths in 2016 Jamarion Robinsonwho was shot and killed more than 70 times in a raid on his girlfriend’s home.
