In the spring of 2014, a visit to see friends at Columbus State University turned fatal for 20-year-old Zikarious Jaquan Flint. On the afternoon of Sunday, March 30th, campus police received a report of a male loading a gun near the student apartments. When officers arrived, they encountered Flint, who was not a student at the university. A foot chase ensued, ending in a confrontation that left the young man with two fatal gunshot wounds. The incident, which unfolded rapidly, concluded without a campus lockdown as authorities deemed it an 'isolated threat.'
Following the shooting, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the inquiry, a standard procedure for officer-involved shootings in the state. The narrative of what transpired diverged almost immediately. Law enforcement officials stated that during the pursuit, Flint turned and faced the officers, at which point shots were fired. They reported finding a loaded pistol next to his body. However, an attorney hired by Flint's family presented a starkly different account, asserting that Flint was unarmed. This claim was supported by three individuals who said they witnessed the shooting and stated that Flint did not have a weapon in his hand and appeared to have been shot from behind. An autopsy was scheduled to provide more clarity on the trajectory of the bullets. The officer who fired the fatal shots was identified as Columbus State University Police Sgt. Benjamin Scott.
The investigation into the death of Zikarious Jaquan Flint continued for over a year. Ultimately, the case was presented to a grand jury. In 2015, the grand jury concluded that Sgt. Scott's actions were justifiable under the circumstances, and therefore, no criminal charges were filed against him. This decision, while legally closing the criminal aspect of the case, did not end the pursuit of accountability for Flint's family.
Shortly after the grand jury's decision, Flint's mother, Shaminique Flint, filed a civil lawsuit. The suit alleged that Sgt. Scott had used excessive force in the shooting, violating her son's constitutional rights. The legal battle in civil court continued for several years. In August of 2019, a resolution was reached. The state of Georgia agreed to a settlement, awarding $300,000 to Shaminique Flint, bringing a close to the family's legal fight for their son.
