A Georgia deputy who beat a Black man unconscious for refusing to show his driver’s license has been fired.
Sean Williams, an attorney for Roderick Walker, a 26-year-old Black male who was repeatedly punched by a Clayton County deputy during a traffic stop, is demanding that criminal charges be filed against the terminated officer.
“They almost killed him,” Williams told USA Today. “They committed an aggravated assault on this man and luckily I’m not talking to you about Mr. Walker’s death.”
According to MSN.com, the incident occurred Friday in Clayton County, Georgia, just south of Atlanta. Video of the assault went viral after it was uploaded to social media by Walker’s girlfriend, Juanita Davis.
Williams said Walker, Davis, their 5-month-old son, and Davis’ 5-year-old son from a previous relationship, had dropped off a rental car and paid a man $10 to drive them home. Police stopped the vehicle for a broken tail light.
Williams said the deputies asked Walker, who was in the passenger seat, for his ID and Walker stated he did not have one. A struggle ensued when the deputies ordered Walker out of the car for back-talking them.
Davis is heard hysterically screaming “Get off of him” and “Don’t kill him. He said he can’t breathe, officer.”
Her son is heard yelling, “Daddy!” in the background of the video.
The sheriff’s office fired one of the deputies, but Williams wants the second officer to be fired also and both should face criminal charges.
The sheriff’s office said it turned over the criminal investigation to Clayton County District Attorney Tasha Mosley.
Mosley, who is Black, said in a statement that she had requested materials related to the investigation and would consider charges upon receiving them.
“If the final outcome of the investigation leads us to bring charges we are unsure at this time when it will come before a Grand Jury,” Mosley said.
Walker has been transferred to the Fulton County Jail to face outstanding warrants on probation violations in Fulton County.
Williams said Walker was “illegally arrested” and police are using the outstanding warrants to “deflect from their horrendous acts.”
“Roderick Walker is in jail solely because he was illegally arrested after being assaulted by Clayton County Sheriff deputies, not because of anything he did during that incident or in the past,” Williams said. “Mr. Walker would not be in jail if it were not for this unlawful arrest that violated his legal and constitutional rights.”
