The family of a Decatur, Georgia, man killed by police as he was experiencing an apparent mental health crisis is suing the county, alleging it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The lawsuit stems from Matthew Zadok Williams’ controversial shooting by DeKalb County police officers in April 2021 at the 35-year-old’s townhome. It accuses the county of disability discrimination and failing to train officers to safely handle people with mental illnesses.
“My son was only 35 years old, he was my only son, he was my baby,” Williams’ mother, Chris Ann Lewis, said at a Feb. 17 news conference.
The legal complaint details the sequence of events on April 12, 2021, when Williams was killed. It alleges some of the responding officers knew Williams suffered from mental illness because they’d answered previous calls for service to his home.
According to the lawsuit, Williams called 911 “at least two times” requesting assistance on March 16, 2021. Williams was experiencing a mental health crisis. He requested an ambulance and the FBI be sent to his home after he reported he was “being stalked.” He reportedly referenced “the devil” while speaking with the 911 dispatcher.
“He called for help. On March 16, think about it, three weeks before this happened on April 12,” attorney Mawuli Davis said.
Two officers responded to Williams’ home on March 16. One of the responding officers, Mikhail Morgan, also responded to his home the day he was killed. The lawsuit alleges Officer Morgan “knew that Zadok was having a mental health crisis.”
The officers reportedly detailed the incident as a “behavioral health crisis.” The lawsuit claims no mental health professional was consulted by the officers, no ambulance was called and no police report documented the incident.
The lawsuit also…
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