Former Georgia State Patrol officer Jacob Thompson is not charged for fatally shooting 60-year-old Julian Lewis during a traffic stop last August.
On Monday, a Screven County grand jury dismissed charges against Thompson for killing Lewis last summer after being stopped over a broken taillight, AP reports. Thompson had been arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault in the August 7th shooting.
Lewis was shot in the head and Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents have alleged Thompson made conflicting statements about the events leading up to the shooting, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Thompson claimed that he thought Lewis would run him over after allegedly cranking the engine, but authorities found that Lewis’ car was in fact disabled when Thompson fired the fatal shot.
Lewis’ family and lawyers are now demanding that video footage of the shooting be published.
“We believe this was a very strong case,” said Lewis family lawyer Francys Johnson. “The evidence was there. We want to see the video; it was not shown. Show us the evidence. “
Johnson also calls for another grand jury to rule the case and a meeting between local prosecutors and Lewis’ family.
“What happened on August 7th was murder,” said Johnson. “This grand jury determined that the GBI was wrong and a Supreme Court judge was wrong in finding that there was no likely cause to indict Thompson.”
The Lewis family is also supported by the Atlanta-based Davis Bozeman law firm.
“That is why so many people do not trust the criminal justice system when it comes to justice for black people in this state and across the country. It’s heartbreaking for this family, but no surprise to us, ”said Davis.
The family announced in November that they would be suing the state for $ 13 million. They argued that Thompson acted recklessly when he tried to stop Lewis over an alleged broken taillight. Thompson used his cruiser to knock Lewis’ car off the road and shot him about a second later, authorities say.
