COLUMBUS, Ga. — A man shot by police after they thought they heard gunfire coming from his car is happy the officers were indicted. It was determined the man’s car backfired, causing the popping sounds the officers heard.
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Jermaine Hernandez, the man who was shot, says he was on top of the world after hearing the grand jury’s decision.
“I couldn’t do anything but let off tears. Just fill myself with joy,” Hernandez told Channel 2′s Tom Jones.
Hernandez says the grand jury’s decision is a step in the right direction.
“It just lets me know, the reassurance, something is being done,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez says he is lucky he was only shot in the finger when officers pulled him over on Manchester Highway in Columbus for allegedly going 100 miles per hour last year.
“I do believe I could have died,” he said.
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This was all because the officers believed the popping coming from his 2008 BMW 335-I was gunshots. Hernandez says his car is configured to make the popping sounds and it shouldn’t have been a surprise to the officers.
“They can hear my vehicle before I even pulled over completely,” he said.
His attorney, Julius Collins, says with all the officers’ training they should have known better. He said there’s only one conclusion if they’re found guilty criminally or found responsible in civil court.
“You probably shouldn’t put a gun in these two officers’ hands,” Collins said.
Collins says he has seen the video from the stop and there’s no way the officers could have thought the backfiring was gunshots.
“That backfiring sounds like mere popping,” Collins explained.
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The grand jury must have agreed. It indicted the officers on aggravated assault and aggravated battery.
Columbus police said it respects the grand jury’s decision and is starting an internal investigation to ensure all policies and procedures were followed.
Hernandez says the officers should be fired.
“I do not believe they should wear that badge,” Hernandez said.
Columbus police said the officers are still on unpaid administrative leave. A spokesperson said the names of the officers will be released after they turn themselves in.
Hernandez’s attorney says he plans to file a civil lawsuit in this case.
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