Shot at Home Pt 1 July 26

hance of rain
ay: A few storms, 92/74
ay: Sct. storms, 92/75
esday: Sct. storms, 91/74
on the back of Metro
Truth-O-Meter
PolitiFact Georgia
te claims about Georw enforcement, Atlanurder rate, gay wedand John McCain’s
with veterans, B6
ION & WORLD
ntal problems
n’t stop gun buy
SPECIAL INVESTIGATION
SHOT AT HOME
SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2015
AJC SPECIAL INVESTIGATION
te a Georgia judge’s
mitting him to treatsix years earlier, the
iana theater shooter
ble to buy a gun, A3
AJC WATCHDOG
Largest
vendor
also big
donors
Contractors with
agendas poured ca
into Deal’s campaig
ton : A dispute occurs
he candidate’s upcomouse panel testimony, A2
By James Salzer
[email protected]
and Shannon McCaffrey
[email protected]
migrant mothers, kids:
ge says many detainees
d be freed soon, A2
In the midst of his hea
re-election campaign las
Gov. Nathan Deal touche
down in Missouri and wa
whisked to a reception a
dinner at the elegant St.
n that appeared to
is Club.
ed breaks again;
There, he was feted by
hole county’s water
executives from Centene
y may be affected, B1
state contractor that has
paid nearly $4 billion ov
yton County sheriff:
the past five years to pro
Hill avoids local media
health insurance to Med
or of social media and
and PeachCare recipient
nal contact, B1
Georgia.
Deal left Missouri with
SINESS
campaign account fatter
tene executives poured m
er Georgians
than $40,000 into the Re
of workforce
lican’s re-election bid.
A WIDOW’S GRIEF OFFERS GLIMPSE INTO DOZENS OF DEADLY CASES
Such fundraising isn’t
al factors, including
Tenisha Felio breaks down while discussing how Lawrenceville police fatally shot her husband in 2010 when
usual for Georgia politic
ers getting older or
responding to her 911 call. When police arrived, he was asleep in bed, naked and unarmed. Many such deadly
An Atlanta Journal-Cons
back to school, help
police incidents emerge in our in-depth examination. FELIO’S PHOTO: CURTIS COMPTON / AJC; OTHER PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
tion investigation found
nt for the change, D1
over the past five years,
campaign and political a
ine probe: Similarities
tion committees have co
g carriers exist because
ed more than $1.8 million
e closely competing,
about 90 of the state’s bi
usinesses say, D1
vendors or their executiv
and family members.
Campaign funds for st
By Brad Schrade,Jennifer Peebles
DAY’S BONUS
lawmakers and advocacy
The Atlanta Journaland Jeff Ernsthausen
Jennifer Peebles and Jeff Ernsthausen | Staff writers
mittees pushing agendas
Constitution’s and
Staff Writers
d new parents stay Brad Schrade,
Click
the Legislature are filled
Channel 2 Action
ed into work while on
here
to
contractor
money as wel
More than a third of all Georgians fatally shot
News’investigation
? Find out how some
read this
Morebythan
a third ofsince
all Georgians
fatally
shot by law enforcement
sinceshot at
The flow of cash betwe
law enforcement
2010 were killed
at
into Georgians
iking a balance in
politicians and companie
home, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Channel
home is part of a broadpage live with
s Just for Parents 2010 were
killed at home, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Channel
2 Ac2 Action News investigation has found.
ing to win or retain lucrat
examination of police all links active.
Make the most of your
tion News
investigation
found.
In roughly
half of thehas
cases,
police respondgovernment business has
shootings in Georgia.
ription on myAJC.com/
ed to a call for help or to intervene in a domesin the spotlight since DeK
Visit myAJC.com to read
rparents and
tic violence case — only to have the incident end
“Did Caroline Small have
Paper.
with officers killing someone at the residence
Deal continued on A13
to die?”about a Glynn
instead.
County mother shot to death after a low-speed
Tenisha Felio is still tormented by the 911 call to
car chase, and“Shot in the back,” which uncovered
police that changed her family forever. Her husnew details in the shooting of an unarmed black
band, James, 27, father of their three young boys
teen in Union City. On Channel 2 Action News
TRO
alb water main
ak disrupts flow
Shot at home
Calls for help ended in death. Home is
where many deadly police shootings occur.
Calls for help ended in death. Home is where many deadly police shootings occur.
Sunday
July 2
TODAY’S SUBSC
RIBERB
In roughly half of the cases, police
responded to a call for help or to
intervene in a domestic violence case
— only to have the incident end with
officers killing someone at the residence instead.
Tenisha Felio is still tormented by
the 911 call to police that changed her
family forever. Her husband, James,
27, father of their three young boys
and a man with no criminal record,
had physically abused her overnight
in December 2010.
But when she called officers to come
to the family’s Lawrenceville home, he
was lying asleep in the couple’s bed,
naked and unarmed.
Ten minutes after police arrived, he
had been shot dead. His wife watched
in horror as her husband of six years
died bleeding on the bedroom floor,
the smell of gun smoke filling the
upstairs.
“I called y’all to help me,” the anguished wife told police just hours
after the shooting, according to an
audiotape of the interview. “I called
y’all for help. Not so I wouldn’t have
my husband anymore. Not so my kids
would not have their dad anymore.”
The wrenching details of the Felio
case emerged in the most comprehensive examination of police shootings
in Georgia to date. As in many states,
no agency in Georgia tracks police
violence, and little information exists about how often and under what
circumstances these shootings occur.
Reporters from the AJC and Channel
2 spent months analyzing law enforcement investigative files, medical
examiners’ reports, media accounts
and other public records to identify at
least 166 fatal shootings by police in
Georgia from 2010 through the end of
June.
The Atlanta JournalConstitution’s and
Channel 2 Action
News’ investigation
into Georgians shot at
home is part of a broad
examination of police
shootings in Georgia. Visit
myAJC.com to read “Did
Caroline Small have to
die?”about a Glynn
County mother shot to
death after a low-speed
car chase, and“Shot in the back,”which uncovered
new details in the shooting of an unarmed black
teen in Union City. On Channel 2 Action News
Monday at 6 p.m., investigative reporter Jodie
Fleischer speaks with families still questioning why
police shot their loved ones in their own home.
One of the clearest patterns identified was the number of Georgians shot
by police at their homes or those of
family members. At least 65 cases fell
into that category, including Felio’s.
None of the officers faced charges
for the domestic shootings, although
prosecutors are still reviewing at least
six cases.
The concentration of police shootings at residences contrasts sharply
with the narrative of police shootings
nationally, which have focused on unarmed black men shot in the street.
The AJC and Channel 2 investigation
of 65 citizens shot at home reveals
that those police shootings cut across
many racial and demographic lines.
Forty-one of those shot were white
and 21 were black. The oldest civilian
shot by police was Joyce Brown, a
74-year-old white woman from Covington who left behind a suicide note
and was shot by police holding a rifle
in her front yard. The youngest was
Dawntrae Williams, a 15-year-old black
youth from Buford who police said
was armed with a machete.
And while men are far more likely
than women to be killed by police,
A4
CREDIBLE. COMPELLING. COMPLETE.
3
THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2015
OVER THE LINE
Shot
Continued from A1
ter and he made me better, and it just fit,” she
said.
But in the weeks leading
up to the fateful 911 call for
help on Dec. 11, 2010, Tenisha Felio said, she noticed
sharp, unexpected changes in her husband. Usually
talkative, he had moments
where he was quiet and
seemed distant. Sometimes, she had to call his
name several times before
he responded, according to sworn statements
in a lawsuit she later filed.
James Felio described how
he heard her voice, but
something prevented him
from responding, she said
in her lawsuit.
“When you see me
caught, just start praying
for me,” he told Tenisha,
according to her deposition. Growing up in New
Orleans, Felio told his wife
that they had a saying for
such moods. It was like,
he said, “the devil is riding
your back.”
But when she called officers to come to the family’s Lawrenceville home,
he was lying asleep in the
couple’s bed, naked and
unarmed.
Ten minutes after police
arrived, he had been shot
dead. His wife watched
in horror as her husband
of six years died bleeding
on the bedroom floor, the
smell of gun smoke filling
the upstairs.
“I called y’all to help
me,” the anguished wife
told police just hours after the shooting, according to an audiotape of the
interview. “I called y’all
for help. Not so I wouldn’t
have my husband anymore. Not so my kids
would not have their dad
anymore.”
The wrenching details
of the Felio case emerged
in the most comprehenTenisha Felio describes the moments leading up to the Lawrenceville police killing of her husband in their bedroom.
sive examination of poShe said she had called police because she needed help with her husband. CURTIS COMPTON / [email protected]
lice shootings in Geor‘Not in his right mind’
gia to date. As in many
Just days before his
How we got the story
states, no agency in Geordeath, James Felio
gia tracks police violence,
alarmed his wife when he
and little information extried to strangle her on a
Reporters from The Atlanta
reporters examined cases of people
deceased, were drawn as often as
ists about how often and
Monday afternoon. It was
Journal-Constitution and Channel 2
shot at their homes or near their
possible from death certificates or
under what circumstancthe first time in their marAction News spent months scouring
property, or the homes or property of
other official documents.
es these shootings ocriage that he ever physithousands of pages of records — from
family members, which comprised
In the case of James Felio,
cur. Reporters from the
cally abused her, she said
the Georgia Bureau of Investigation,
more than one-third of all cases.
reporters reviewed thousands of
AJC and Channel 2 spent
in her deposition.
pages of investigative files and sworn
local law enforcement agencies,
To determine if someone was
months analyzing law
Tenisha Felio testified
depositions contained in a wrongful
county medical examiners, state
armed or unarmed, reporters relied
enforcement investigathat she told his mother
death lawsuit filed by Felio’s family.
vital records and media accounts
on the best information available to
tive files, medical examabout the out-of-character
The reporters interviewed Felio’s
— to assemble the most complete
them, citing media reports only as
iners’ reports, media acbehavior, hoping that she
wife and her cousin. Members of the
database yet of individuals shot and
a last resort when a more thorough
counts and other public
would visit and find out
Lawrenceville Police Department
killed by law enforcement officers in
investigative file was not available.
records to identify at least
what was wrong with him.
declined to be interviewed, citing the
Georgia since the beginning of 2010.
Likewise, personal characteristics,
166 fatal shootings by poFelio’s mother suggestongoing lawsuit of Felio’s family.
For this story, AJC and Channel 2
such as the race and age of the
lice in Georgia from 2010
ed taking him to a hospithrough the end of June.
tal, Tenisha Felio said, and
One of the clearest patwas arranging to come to
terns identified was the
Atlanta.
six of the nine women killed by police
ly dangerous citizens. John Pearce
number of Georgians shot
Then on Friday night,
by police at their homes
after the couple had
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES at
since
2010
were
killed
at
home.
stabbed
his
mother
multiple
times
or those of family memwatched a movie with
www.myAJC.com/police-shootings
bers. At least 65 cases fell Why police went to a residence difbefore being shot and killed by policefriends, Tenisha Felio
into that category, includwent to bed. She woke at
■ The many faces featured on today’s front page are just
fered in each case, but most involved
in Gainesville.
In another
a 1 a.m. on Saturday Dec. 11,
ing Felio’s. None of the ofa sampling
of the Georgia residents
who haveinstance,
been shot
her husband struck
ficers faced charges for
and killed at home by police. As part of our comprehensive
situations in which officers were
rape suspect shot and killed a Rock- when
her while she was sleepthe domestic shootings,
coverage on the issue, we have profiles of all 65 victims in
ing, according to her dealthough prosecutors are
such
shootings.
To learn deputy
more about an
individualother
case, and
called to stop suicidal people from
dale
sheriff’s
before
position.
still reviewing at least six
to see the source of the AJC’s and Channel 2 Action News’
killing themselves, to calm a domesofficersonshot
and
killed
the suspect. Off and on for severcases.
information
each one,
visit our
online database.
hours, he physicalThe concentration of
■ You can also listen to families and officials talk about the
tic dispute, to stop a violent crime in
In 55 cases, police shot people whoal
ly abused her while their
police shootings at resipolice shootings in exclusive videos in our series.
sons slept in a nearby beddences contrasts sharp- progress, to arrest someone accused
■were
The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution’s
and Channelaccording
2 Action
armed
at their homes,
room, according to her
ly with the narrative of poNews’investigation into Georgians shot at home is part of
to police
and
media
reports.
testimony. He struck her
lice shootings nationally,of a crime or to apprehend a suspect
a broad
examination
of police
shootings
in Georgia.ThirVisit
with a shower curtain rod,
which have focused on unmyAJC.com to read the first two installments in our“Over the
who’d
fled
home.
ty-five
had
guns,
17
had
knives
and
hit her and pushed her
armed black men shot in
Line”series:“Did Caroline Small have to die?”is about a Glynn
around. He tried to stranthe street.
mother
shot to
death after ahousehold
low-speed car chase,
The analysis found the officers often County
three
used
random
objects
gle her again but evenThe AJC and Channel 2
and“Shot in the back”uncovered new details in the shooting
found themselves in highly charged,
hammer,
aingas
investigation of 65 citizens
of—
ana
unarmed
black teen
Unioncan
City. or a piece of tually they lay down in
bed and he went to sleep
shot at home reveals that
volatile situations with potentiallumber — to threaten officers.
around 5 a.m.
those police shootings cut
cording to the audio reAs he was sleeping,
innocent citizens from
lar weekend social gatheracross many racial and
his weapon.
cording. He was too late.
she called Gwinnett 911
someone threatening to
ings, James took the lead.
demographic lines. For“Not only did he get
Police had already enfor help. She also asked
harm others. But the AJC/
Children didn’t come
ty-one of those shot were
shot in his own home, he
tered the home and shot
Channel 2 analysis found
easy. Tenisha had two mis- a nearby cousin, Anita
white and 21 were black.
was on the phone waitKnowles when she refused ing for someone to asFlowers, to come to the
carriages before she gave
The oldest civilian shot by that family members or
house.
others questioned the fabirth to the couple’s first
police was Joyce Brown, a
sist him,” said his sister
to drop her handgun.
When Lawrenceville Potal outcome of the police
child in 2006. In quick
74-year-old white woman
DeLisa Davis. “The police
■ Christopher Roupe,
lice Officer Christopher
response in about onesuccession, the couple
from Covington who left
are called to protect and
a 17-year-old Junior ROTC