Family of man killed by officer outside Buckhead restaurant in 2022 still demands justice

ATLANTA — One year ago, Atlanta Police shot and killed Nygil Cullins. It happened at Fogo De Chao in Buckhead. Now, his family is demanding justice for his death.

His family said they wouldn’t stop fighting for him, “His name needs to be cleared, and justice needs to be served,” said his mother, Mya Cullins.

You can hear the passion in Mya Cullins’ voice. Family and friends of Nygil Cullins protested outside Fogo De Chao on his behalf.

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In May 2022, Atlanta Police shot and killed 22-year-old Nygil Cullins at the Buckhead Restaurant.

Investigators said Cullins was a former employee and shot a security guard; that’s when an APD officer shot and killed Cullins near the front of the restaurant.

Mya Cullins said they had received little to no answers to what happened since then.

“It’s been a year, and we want answers,” Mya Cullins told WSB Tonight’s Larry Spruill.

His family told Spruill they believed there was more to the story.

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Mya Cullins said her son was suffering from a mental crisis at the time of the incident, and she called for help, “I did everything that I was supposed to do. I followed the procedure of calling and making sure he had a bed, and it was available to him, and help didn’t arrive. His mental health and his mental illness shouldn’t be a death sentence.”

Channel 2 Action News has recently reported on the severity of the mental health crisis that’s going on across the country.

The most recent incident was the mass shooting at Northside Medical Center in Buckhead. Atlanta Police said 24-year-old Deion Patterson shot five women, and one died. Patterson’s mother said he was also having a mental crisis.

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Meanwhile, the family wants the officers involved to be held responsible in this case.

“Currently, the case is in between GBI and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. We’re asking for the case to be moved, to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, so they can decide,” said Attorney Gerald Griggs with Georgia NAACP.

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