Family condemns shooting of man with sword, calls it a 'mental situation'

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga - Wednesday morning, a woman who lives on Julia Way in Paulding County said her neighbor, 41-year-old Richard Harris, tried to break into her house. When Paulding County deputies arrived, Harris had gone into his house and wouldn't talk to them.

Several hours later, the neighbor's husband and Harris got into a fistfight. Investigators said Harris then went after the wife. That's when she pulled out a gun and shot Harris in the abdomen.

"She felt like there was no other choice but to fire her pistol to stop him," said Sgt. Ashley Henson with the Paulding County Sheriff's Office.

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EMS and deputies went to Harris's home, that's when investigators said Harris started waving a sword at them.

"He eventually got a sword and came toward the deputies and EMS with the sword in an aggressive manner," said Sgt. Henson.

Sgt. Henson said deputies deployed a Taser on Harris, but it had no effect. That's when one of the deputies shot Harris in the side.

"In fear of their lives they had to act, trying a less lethal method at first, then they had to fire," said Sgt. Henson.

Harris's mother, Marva, said her son has been having mental issues every now and then since he got divorced.

She doesn't believe deputies should have shot a man in his condition.

"They didn't have to shoot a man who was already bleeding out, it's a mental situation," said Harris.

Investigators said they had no choice.

"Certainly the deputies tried everything they could to reason with him when he brought a sword into the mix he turned it into a different situation," said Sgt. Henson.

The neighbor who shot Harris will not be charged.

Harris's mother said her son is at Grady Memorial Hospital in stable condition.