COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The family of Emmanuel Millard is now reacting to the sentencing of the former Woodstock Police Officer charged with the shooting death of the 20-year-old.
“If my son pulled the trigger would y’all given the same grace and mercy you gave Officer Shaw? No,” the father of Emmauel Millard, Joseph Francis, told Channel 2’s Audrey Washington.
Officer Grant Shaw seemed overcome with emotion when he took the stand inside the Cobb County Superior Courtroom and admitted he was indeed guilty.
“I am sorry that he is no longer here. I’m sorry I killed him,” Shaw said. “I accept my guilt, my responsibility.”
Shaw faced an involuntary manslaughter charge for the shooting death of Millard during a 2023 traffic stop.
“This is my fault that he is dead, and I will forever be sorry,” Shaw said.
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Shaw plead guilty and put his fate in the hands of the judge, instead of a jury. He faced 10 years in prison.
The judge sentenced Shaw to 500 hours of community service as part of 10 year probated sentence with two years of house arrest.
“He basically said I did it and I’m willing to take the punishment and they still didn’t give him a punishment,” mother Lenette Millard said.
The family attorneys said they were shocked by the sentence and believe race played a role.
“The disparity between the way the sentence was imposed in this situation compared to what had been imposed if this was a defendant of color,” attorney Akil Secret said.
The attorneys said though they disagree with the sentence, they’ve reached a civil settlement.
“That does resolve the claims against Shaw, the Woodstock Police Department and the city,” attorney Andrew Lampros said.
The family of Millard said their feelings about the sentence will never change.
“Unacceptable, unjust, disgusting,” Lenette Millard said.
“You’re just home relaxing and you’re good to go, but we’ll never see Emmanuel again,” Francis said.
Shaw could not be reached for comment for this story.
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