On a summer day in North Charleston, South Carolina, 26-year-old Datwan Gatling was diligently working his sanitation route, a job he performed to provide for his five children. It was July 18, 2024, a day that began like any other but would end in tragedy. While driving a city sanitation truck, Gatling, a Black male, was fatally shot. In the moments after the shooting, the truck he was operating veered off the road and crashed into a tree.
First responders rushed him to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be too severe.
The investigation into the death of the city employee led law enforcement to 24-year-old Tyrell Lamont Smith. Smith was not immediately apprehended in South Carolina. The search for him extended to New York, where he was located and arrested in early August by U.S. Marshals. After his arrest, Smith initially contested being returned to South Carolina to face the charges against him. However, he was successfully extradited in November and taken into custody by the North Charleston Police Department. Smith was subsequently charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
The arrest brought to light Smith's history with the criminal justice system. Records indicated that he had been arrested on at least five prior occasions, with charges including possession of a firearm and attempted murder. This history prompted Gatling's grieving family to voice their anguish and frustration with a system they feel failed to protect their loved one. They questioned how an individual with such a record was able to be on the streets. Gatling's mother remembered her son as a loving, caring, and well-mannered man who was dedicated to his family. His aunt described him as having a kind heart from childhood until his last breath. The family continues to seek justice for a life they believe was senselessly taken while he was making an honest living.
