On the night of April 7, 1991, Wade Barrett, a 27-year-old Black/African American male, was in the fourth year of his career as a DeKalb County Police Officer. Responding to a report of a disturbance at a local apartment complex shortly before midnight, he arrived to the sound of a woman's scream coming from an upstairs unit. Unbeknownst to him, he was about to walk into a home invasion robbery being carried out by five individuals who were posing as police officers.
As Officer Barrett entered the apartment to investigate the situation, he was immediately met with gunfire. One of the bullets tragically found its way through an opening in his protective vest, striking him in the heart. His fellow officers and emergency responders rushed him to DeKalb Medical Center, but the wound was too severe. He was pronounced dead at 12:13 a.m. on April 8, 1991, leaving behind a son.
The investigation that followed led to the arrest of at least one of the men responsible for the deadly home invasion. In October 1992, Ammon Sumrall was convicted by a DeKalb County jury for his role in the death of Officer Barrett. He was found guilty of felony murder, armed robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, impersonating a public officer, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. For these offenses, Sumrall was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences, in addition to five more years in prison. The disposition of the other four suspects involved in the incident is not detailed in available online sources.
