No charges expected in deadly Walmart parking lot shooting, DA says

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — Surveillance video shows the moments before an off-duty ICE agent shot and killed a man in a Douglasville Walmart parking lot.

After a weeklong investigation, the district attorney said the agent, Othello Jones, will not face any charges.

Douglas County District Attorney Ryan Leonard said Jones’ wife called police immediately after her husband fired a shot.

Surveillance video shows Jones’ wife making that 911 call. Jones told police there was a reason he parked under these cameras.

“Jones parked underneath a camera on purpose because he felt there was going to be a confrontation. He was being pursued by Mr. Liddell,” Leonard said during a news conference Monday.

Channel 2's Kristen Holloway was there Monday as Leonard explained why Jones will not face any charges after shooting and killing Jonathan Liddell, 45.

The DA said Jones and his family were leaving church minutes before the shooting.

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“They had turned on Thornton Road where they came upon a car that stopped in the middle of traffic directly in front of them. This vehicle didn’t not move for one to two minutes,” Leonard said. “As they passed this vehicle, his wife was in the passenger seat in the front, looked over and saw Mr. Liddell put on a hoodie and she also thought he did something to conceal the lower portion of his face.”

Surveillance video shows Liddell pull up next to Jones in the parking lot.

“According to Mr. Jones statement, he sees Mr. Liddell turn around from the driver’s side with a firearm in his right hand pointed at Mr. Jones and that’s the point where he fires a shot,” Leonard said.

The DA said his wife called 911 immediately.

Police later determined the gun Liddell had was a fake. The DA says it looked like a real gun and the shooting was justified.

“In the vehicle next to Liddell when he was killed was Mr. Jones' wife as well as three children with his young child being a 5-year-old. Their lives have been changed forever. It’s tragic on both accounts,” Leonard said.

Police said they found a ski mask inside the car on the dashboard.

Holloway spoke with Liddell’s mother on Monday who said this is not the outcome she expected. She said she feels like there's more to the story and said Jones should be charged.

Cox Media Group