SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News is getting an exclusive look into the moments an off-duty Atlanta police officer shot a man to death during a birthday party earlier this week.
The shooting happened outside of a bar on Old National Highway on Monday. Devon Anderson was attending a birthday celebration for a friend who is a South Fulton police officer when an argument broke out. Anderson was trying to diffuse the situation when police said Melvin Potter shot him to death.
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Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln spoke to Anderson’s family, who is hosting a vigil outside the bar Friday night. They say they want to know why Potter hasn’t been charged with homicide.
“I need to get justice for my son to go on living,” his mother, Valerie Lans said. “Why is the man who killed him, murdered him, not in jail.”
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Anderson’s family said they are speaking out because little information has been provided to them about the status of the investigation.
“Don’t tell me you’re still collecting information when the majority of participants at this party were officers,” his sister, Chemise Anderson said. “We lost everything.”
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The GBI said Potter got into an argument with a group of people while escorting the South Fulton police officer to her car. A witness told Channel 2 Action News that Anderson was trying to de-escalate the argument when Potter shot him.
Anderson’s family shared surveillance video with Lincoln of the rapid gunfire. You can see the South Fulton police officers who were working security for the bar run towards the gunfire while civilians ducked for cover.
“For a party that was hosted by police, whether off-duty or not, got so out of control,” Anderson said.
Anderson said it’s heartbreaking that her brother was killed by a police officer since the budding musician created music against police brutality.
“It’s so unfortunate that he became a victim of the same thing he sung about,” Anderson said.
Potter was arrested and booked at the Fulton County Jail, but he was charged with misdemeanor obstruction after he refused to provide police a blood alcohol test. He bonded out of jail hours later.
The GBI investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is aked to contact the GBI office in South Fulton.