In the early morning hours of January 20, 2020, a domestic dispute at the Tall Pines Apartments on Turner Street in LaGrange, Georgia, escalated into a fatal encounter for 29-year-old Jazmen Glanton. An African American male, Glanton was involved in an altercation with his girlfriend, Phatrial Simms. The argument prompted Simms's 19-year-old brother, Patrick Reeves, who was also present, to call 911 for assistance.
A LaGrange police officer, Megan Keith, was the first to arrive at the scene. As she approached the apartment, she witnessed Reeves shoot Glanton. According to reports, Officer Keith gave verbal commands to Reeves, and when he did not comply, she fired her weapon, striking him in the arm. Glanton was transported to Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Reeves sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was also taken to the hospital.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called to look into both the death of Glanton and the officer-involved shooting. During the investigation, Reeves stated that he shot Glanton because Glanton was assaulting his sister. He claimed that during their dispute, Glanton reached for a gun, and he managed to get it away from him. Reeves said he then backed out of the apartment with his sister, but Glanton continued to advance towards them, at which point he shot him.
In October 2020, the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney announced that no charges would be filed against Officer Keith, determining her actions were justified. The district attorney also cleared Patrick Reeves, stating that there was insufficient evidence to disprove that he acted in self-defense. The investigation concluded that the evidence indicated Glanton had posed a deadly threat to Reeves and his sister. Both siblings reported a history of domestic violence by Glanton against Simms.
