An autopsy report has intensified scrutiny surrounding the fatal shooting of a 44-year-old rapper by an off-duty Georgia police officer outside an Atlanta bar last month. Linton “B-Green” Blackwell was shot 17 times in the back by Officer Gerald Walker, sparking claims of unjustified force from the victim’s friends and family.
The incident occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. on October 12 outside the 5 Paces Inn. Atlanta police stated Officer Walker, working extra duty, was responding to a report of a “disruptive person” when he encountered Blackwell trying to re-enter the bar.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Blackwell began walking away from Walker toward a parking lot and was observed by the officer putting an item in the small of his back while entering a car. Walker issued commands regarding a gun before opening fire, fatally striking Blackwell. A firearm was recovered at the scene.
However, the autopsy findings—showing 17 shots in the back area and none in the front—have led Blackwell’s friend and manager, Timothy Coleman, to vehemently question the officer’s actions.
“If he wasn’t pointing a gun at you or doing anything, what does that have to do with shooting him in the back 17 times?” Coleman stated, insisting the victim was not a threat if he was facing away. Coleman is calling for Walker to be charged with a crime.
The GBI is the lead investigative agency and will turn over its findings to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, which will ultimately decide whether the shooting was justified or if criminal charges against Officer Walker are warranted. The investigation remains ongoing.
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