Police Release Video In Officer-Involved Shooting

ATLANTA, GA -- Fulton County officials along with the Atlanta Police Department released video Friday of the moments before an officer-involved shooting that took the life of a 24-year-old man last month.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard said that the video's release was so that local law enforcement could be as transparent as possible and "let the chips fall where they may."

The surveillance video footage was captured by Atlanta Public Safety Annex cameras located at the 3000 block of Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway in northwest Atlanta.

In a statement, the District Attorney’s Office said that it "is well aware that the video footage depicts activities and events which might appear inconsistent with what has previously been described by the media."

As Patch previously reported, the Jan. 26 incident began when two plainclothes lawmen -- Officer Yasin Abdulahad and Det. El Malik Roberson-EL -- smelled marijuana and approached a car in the annex building's parking lot, finding Deaundre Phillips inside.

According to information given to the media, Phillips exited the vehicle, but hurriedly got back into the car and began to drive off. An officer was partially inside the vehicle when Phillips pulled off, the GBI, who helped investigate the case, said at the time.

According to the footage released Friday, Phillips is seen driving off in the vehicle while an officer is outside of the vehicle and another is obscured by the car, according to WAGA-TV.

Read more: Police shoot, kill man on city property

“Our job is to make an independent review of this matter based upon the facts surrounding the death. We have not received copies of interviews or files from the GBI," Howard said in a statement Friday. "Once we receive this information, as we have been called upon many times in the past, we will make our assessment and then let the chips fall where they may."

Once the GBI concludes its probe, the results will be referred to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. The District Attorney will make a determination and report the findings to the public, the DA's Office said.

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