‘I don’t have my son’: father says he doesn’t believe son had gun when police shot, killed him

CITY OF SOUTH FULTON — Police shot and killed a man while trying to serve a warrant. It happened Friday afternoon in the City of South Fulton.

Investigators say Chase McDermott was a gang member.

Channel 2′s Tom Jones spoke to McDermott’s father, Harold McDermott, who said he still can’t believe his son is gone.

He also said he can’t believe his son was armed and pointed a weapon at officers. But police say Chase McDermott was armed and that’s when officers opened fire.

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“I’m shell-shocked that I don’t have my son,” Harrold McDermott said.

He told Jones that he is trying to hold it together after Atlanta police shot and killed his 22-year-old son inside their home

He said he was sitting on his deck just after on Hania Drive when several officers surrounded his home around noon.

They asked for his son. He said he tried to go in and see if he was there.

“They waved me back and then when I turned around, I heard two gunshots and they killed my son,” Harold McDermott said.

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Police say their fugitive unit was searching for the younger McDermott and they were at the home to execute a warrant.

“He was wanted for a gang-related homicide,” said Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Charles Hampton.

Officers said they had sights on Chase McDermott and went inside the home.

“When they went inside the residence, they encountered the armed fugitive,” Hampton said.

Hampton said an officer opened fire. He didn’t say what provoked the shooting.

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“I can’t even really see him pointing no gun at police, to be honest with you,” Harold McDermott said.

Harold McDermott said his son recently turned himself in on other charges he faced and would have done the same Friday if detectives asked him to.

“They startled me, they startled him, and they shot him,” Harold McDermott said.

The father said this is taking a heavy toll on his family.

“I’m traumatized is what I am,” Harold McDermott said.

The older McDermott said his family took his son’s gun away from him after he was arrested recently and was told he can’t have weapons, so he doesn’t think his son had a weapon.

Police were emphatic Chase McDermott was armed.

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