On August 5, 2016, Jamarion Rashad Robinson, a 26-year-old African American man, was shot and killed inside his girlfriend's East Point, Georgia apartment. A former college football player at Clark Atlanta University and Tuskegee University who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, Robinson was the subject of arrest warrants for attempted arson and for allegedly pointing a gun at police officers.
His mother had previously contacted law enforcement to seek mental health assistance for him.
A U.S. Marshals-led fugitive task force, comprising officers from at least seven different agencies, arrived at the apartment to serve the warrants. Authorities stated that upon making contact, Robinson was armed with a gun and refused numerous verbal commands to drop his weapon. The situation escalated into a barrage of gunfire that lasted for nearly three minutes, with officers firing approximately 110 shots. An autopsy later revealed that Robinson had sustained 59 entry wounds, resulting in a total of 76 bullet wounds. Law enforcement officials reported that Robinson fired at them three times during the encounter. None of the officers involved were injured, and none were wearing body cameras, as federal policy at the time did not require them for task force operations.
The aftermath of the shooting raised significant questions and controversy. An investigator hired by Robinson's family alleged that after he was killed, officers handcuffed his body, dragged him down a flight of stairs, and threw a flash-bang grenade into the area, potentially to disrupt the scene. The family's private investigation also pointed to evidence of gunshots fired straight down into the floor where Robinson's body was lying. The family has disputed the police's claim that Robinson fired his weapon, suggesting the gun was inoperable.
Years after the incident, in October 2021, a grand jury indicted two of the officers involved. U.S. Marshal Eric Heinze and Clayton County Police Officer Kristopher Hutchens were charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, burglary, making false statements, and violation of oath by a public officer. A third officer involved died of cancer before he could be indicted. In March 2022, both Heinze and Hutchens pleaded not guilty to the charges. The criminal case has since been met with significant delays. A separate civil lawsuit filed by Robinson's mother against several of the officers was closed in June 2024 after a federal appeals court ruled that she was not entitled to financial compensation.
