Former East Point officers indicted

A Fulton County Grand Jury has indicted two former East Point Police Officers in connection with a fatal excessive use of force case. Former East Point Police Chief Woodrow Blue sought termination of both men involved. Sgt. Marcus Eberhart have been indicted on expenses associated to the April 2014 death of Gregory Towns. The post-mortem report lists the way of death as a murder. The two are charged with felony murder, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and several charges of violation of an oath by a public officer. Calls to a number listed for Eberhart went unanswered. A person who answered at Weems’ home said he wasn’t there and hung up the phone when asked if he could take a message.

Eberhart resigned July 9, 2014, and Weems was fired the next day, according to a statement from the office of Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard. Soon after encountering police in the parking lot, Towns ran away into a nearby wooded area. Shortly after his capture, Sergeant Eberhart and Corporal Weems arrived on the scene and demanded that the victim stand and walk to a waiting patrol auto. It claims officers used their Tasers on Towns Jr. a combined 14 times, as they were trying to get him to stand up. After being repeatedly hit, he became unconscious and later died. Officers in Baltimore also face charges related to the death of Freddie Gray, who died after being placed in the back of a police van. The city settled the lawsuit for $1 million in November.

“Relief, but the journey isn’t over yet”, the attorney for the Towns family, Chris Stewart said in reaction. Towns was sitting on the ground in a creek catching his breath after running for about a mile when officers caught up with him and handcuffed him.