Officer involved shooting justified

jclark@sunmulti.com

District Attorney George Hartwig released a statement

Thursday saying that the Warner Robins Police officers involved in the shooting

death of Anthony Rawls on March 10 were justified in their actions.

According to a release from the District Attorney’s Office,

officers responded to the 106 Huntwood Lane home around 7:47 p.m. after

Michelle Rawls called 911 and told the operator that her husband threatened to

kill her and that he had a gun.  She then told the operator not to send the

police to the home “because her husband said he would kill her if police came

to the house,” said the release.

The responding officers instructed Anthony Rawls to put his

hands up in the air, and but reports state he refused. He reportedly then

pointed the gun towards his wife as the officers moved to the front porch.

The release then explains that an officer “rushed toward

Anthony Rawls to prevent him from shooting his wife. Rawls and one or more

officers fell against a front porch window causing it to break. As Rawls and

the officers fell away from the window, Rawls began to fire is .380 handgun.”

That is when the officers fired at Rawls, said the release.

Hartwig said in the release that the officer’s use of deadly

force “was justified under the facts of this case and the laws of the State of

Georgia, O.C.G.A. 17-4-10(b), in that they believed Anthony George Rawls posed

‘an immediate threat of physical violence to the officer(s) or others.’”

Warner Robins Police Chief Brett Evans said in a statement

released from the department, “I believe the facts of this case clearly show

the officers were acting within the law and in accordance with the policies and

procedures of the Warner Robins Police Department. They were protecting the

lives of those at the residence as well as their own that night. Anthony Rawls

posed a significant threat to his wife, Michelle, and to all of the officers

present.”

Evans goes on to say, “We continue to keep the Rawls family

in our thoughts and prayers as losing someone under any circumstance is always

a tragedy. I took the opportunity to speak with Mrs. Rawls personally and

informed her of the District Attorney’s findings. We ask that the family’s

feelings be considered during this time.”

Evans also said that the officers are off of administrative leave and have

returned to work.

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