Officer who shot, killed veteran at V.A. hospital justified in use of force, DA says

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office reached a charging decision in the death of an Army veteran killed by an officer in an emergency room.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Police say a Veteran’s Administration Officer shot John Smith Jr., 58, at the Atlanta VA Medical Center when he pursued a nurse with a knife on Jan. 29.

Earlier this week, DeKalb District Attorney Sherry Boston and staff members met with Smith’s family and walked them through the case, which included showing them video of the shooting from the officer’s body-camera.

The DA said the evidence shows that under the law, the officer who shot Smith was justified in his use of force and he will not be charged.

According to a county coroner’s report obtained by Channel 2′s Tom Jones, the officer shot Smith 13 times back in January.

Smith’s family says the Army veteran was suicidal. They say he went to the VA hospital for help.

“He was having a breakdown, a mental breakdown,” his sister, LaShun Smith, said.

TRENDING STORIES:

• T.I.’s 19-year-old son arrested in Dunwoody over failure to appear warrant
• Victim robbed at gunpoint while parked at Atlanta gas station
• Man veers off road, jumps curb before driving into metro Atlanta lake

The investigation revealed that Smith went to the VA hospital and told staff he was having thoughts of hurting himself or someone else. As a VA social worker and medical staff were in the process of admitting Smith to the hospital, he pulled out a knife from his belongings. The DA’s office said the body camera video showed they tried repeatedly to talk to Smith and asked him to drop the knife.

At one point, he followed a hospital employee into an enclosed room and charged toward him with the knife. That’s when the officer shot Smith.

“Mr. Smith’s death is a painful reminder of the struggles our veterans face, even long after their service officially ends. We grieve with his family and offer them our deepest condolences,” Boston said.

The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office has now closed the case.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

RELATED NEWS:

Family of veteran killed at V.A. hospital begging to know why lethal force was used

©2024 Cox Media Group