Jury recommends charges against deputy who killed Cobb man during no-knock raid
Jury recommends charges against deputy who killed Cobb man
Johnny Lorenzo Bolton was in his Smyrna apartment when police serving a narcotics search warrant burst through the front door with guns drawn and no warning. Now a grand jury decided the deputy's use of force was not justified under Georgia law.
SMYRNA, Ga. - A Georgia grand jury recommends charges be brought against a Cobb County deputy who shot and killed an unarmed Black man in 2020.
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On Dec. 17, Johnny Lorenzo Bolton was in his Smyrna apartment when police serving a narcotics search warrant burst through the front door with guns drawn and no warning.
One of the deputies fired, sending two bullets into Bolton’s chest. The 49-year-old Black man died from his injuries. An attorney for his family says he was asleep and startled awake when deputies entered the apartment.
In September, the Cobb County District Attorney presented evidence gathered by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to a grand jury.
FAMILY DEMANDS ANSWERS FOR COBB MAN KILLED DURING NO-KNOCK WARRANT
The jury determined the deputy's use of force was not justified under Georgia law and recommended officials take further action.
Bolton's family spoke out about his death earlier this year, begging the community for justice.
"Why did the officers shoot and kill my brother? Where is the accountability? This happened Dec. 17 of 2020 where is the accountability," the victim's sister Daphne Bolton said.
Johnny Bolton (Courtesy of the family)
Cobb County officials say the shooting is "still an open and active investigation."
The Cobb County District Attorney has not decided what charges, if any, will be presented to a grand jury in the future.
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