Georgia deputy shoots teen during mental health crisis; family demands justice: ‘He needed help’
A 19-year-old boy was shot by a police officer in Rockdale County, Georgia, during an alleged mental health crisis on April 13. The teen, Jason Marshall-Haynes, survived but was injured in the shooting and now requires crutches to walk.
The victim’s mother, Dr. Makina Marshall, has revealed that she had informed the authorities about her son’s mental health struggles at least thrice before the shooting took place. The family is now demanding justice for their son and accountability from the authorities.
Marshall-Haynes’ Family Demands Justice After Officer-Involved Shooting
The incident took place on April 13 when Rockdale County deputies received a call about indecent exposure. Officers found Marshall-Haynes naked out in the open. After police were unable to apprehend him with nonlethal weapons, a deputy shot him twice, injuring him.
Marshall-Haynes’s family, alongside civil rights attorney Ben Crump, held a press conference in South Fulton on June 4 to demand justice. The victim appeared at the scene and was seen using a crutch. During the press conference, Marshall said she called 911 for three consecutive days while her son experienced a mental health episode.
She said she received no help, and Marshall-Haynes continued to struggle until he was eventually shot. The family says the teen was unarmed when police fired on him. “I did everything right in raising him. He was shot in our neighborhood, our suburban neighborhood,” Marshall said.
Addressing authorities, she said, “You could have done better, and you need to be trained for mental health awareness. How to help people who are going through a mental health crisis.” The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is now looking into the shooting.
Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office Responds to the Press Conference
The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) released a statement responding to the press conference and maintained that deputies initially used non-lethal weapons. According to the sheriff’s office, Marshall-Haynes charged at a deputy, after which the deputy fired his weapon.
“Deputy Summers deployed his pepper spray, but it was not effective. Deputy Summers then deployed his taser, which was also not effective. The individual charged toward Deputy Summers at which time Deputy Summers drew his service weapon and fired twice, striking the individual,” the statement read.
RCSO added that the deputy was placed on administrative leave following the shooting. However, he has returned to duty after an internal investigation found no wrongdoing. The office also responded to the family’s allegations about a lack of awareness among deputies regarding mental health crises.
“The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office hosts annual online and in-person training for autism and de-escalation, mental health and first aid training, and diminished capacity training that all deputies are required to attend,” the statement said.
RCSO said it will release the officer’s body camera footage once the GBI completes its investigation. “The status of the GBI investigation is still open and active,” officials said.
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Source: Front Page Detectives
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