Body cam footage captured the tense moments that led to a controversial officer who shot from last year in Atlanta.
Georgia State Trooper First Class Brandon Byrd tracked down a stolen rental car on Leslie Street; however wWhen the driver tried to retreat, Byrd fired his gun, killing Andrew Smyrna.
“Losing him is like taking a piece of my heart away that can never be replacedever, ”said Andrew’s mother Ingrid Smyrna.
Ingrid Smyrna not only endured the pain of losing her son, but recently learned that the officer concerned would not face criminal charges.
“My son is not a violent young man. He would never turn a car on a cop. He would never do that. He went the other way, ”said Ingrid Smyrna.
Dekalb District Attorney, Sherry Boston, investigated the case for months and found that Trooper Byrd was within his legal rights to use lethal force.
“Based on this officer’s testimony and the physical evidence gathered, including the body camera, it was reasonable for Trooper Byrd to believe that this car could be used as an assault weapon against him and put his life in danger, which would then trigger his ability to do so Use deadly force under the law, ”Boston said.
Smyrna family attorney Thomas Reynolds argues that the body cam footage clearly shows the car going in the opposite direction from the officer, so believes the prosecutor misunderstood it.
“There has to be someone who takes responsibility and responsibility for this loss. We have someone who was an innocent, unarmed person who was shot dead by officers, and we get the same script that we hear across the country about someone who is afraid for their life, ”said Roberts.
It’s important to note that the Atlanta Police were the first to respond to this incident but were unable to track the car due to a no chase policy.
At this point, the state patrol became involved and was legally pursuing the suspect.
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