The family of a Georgia woman fatally shot as sheriff’s deputies entered her relative’s home under a search warrant is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the case, likening the killing to that of Breonna Taylor.
Latoya James, 37, was killed when authorities entered her cousin Varshawn Brown’s home near Savannah, looking for drugs. James’ attorneys and family argue the occupants of the house did not have enough time to respond when a search team broke down the door, gaining entry into the dark house in the early morning of May 2021.
Authorities said they were firing back at Brown, who is now facing felony murder charges in relation to his cousin’s death. Harry Daniels, an attorney for James’ estate, said prosecutors told them the shots that killed James came from deputies. Local prosecutors declined to pursue charges against the deputies involved in April.
Daniels said James was not suspected of any crime when she got caught in the crossfire.
“Latoya was innocent in all aspects of this case. There was no subject search warrant related to her,” Daniels said.
Daniels and James’ family say the incident is similar to the 2020 Kentucky raid that killed Taylor. The DOJ filed civil rights charges against four officers involved in Taylor’s case earlier this month.
Body-worn camera footage of the incident shows deputies announced themselves before they entered Brown’s house in Woodbine, Georgia. Shots ring out shortly afterward, but a deputy’s shield blocks the view of what happened. Brown was also hit with gunfire in the shooting.
“You have a video showing these officers reaching this door, not even giving these people time to even open their mouth and answer, ‘Hold on. One second. We coming.’ They didn’t give them a chance to make verbal responses before they kicked down the door,” Daniels said.
Recent Comments