Family of Man Killed by DeKalb Police Hears 911 Call

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The family of a man shot and killed by a DeKalb County police officer late last year says the 911 recording of the incident proves their loved one was killed needlessly.

On Dec. 29, Officer Joseph Pitts shot and killed Kevin Davis after Pitts allegedly killed Davis’ dog. Davis had called 911 to report that his roommate had stabbed his girlfriend, and he said he assumed that the gunshots he heard came from the roommate returning to the apartment complex off of Covington Highway.

The shots were fired by Pitts, who killed Davis’ dog after it tried to attack him, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said.

Davis was armed, intent on protecting his girlfriend, but he never brought his firearm to bear on the officer, DeKalb’s police chief Dr. Cedric Alexander said. After Davis refused to drop the gun, Pitts shot and killed him.

An attorney for the Davis family told WSB-TV that the 911 tape proves that Davis wasn’t given enough time to comply with Pitt’s commands, and claims that only 30 seconds passed between the time Pitts killed Davis’ dog and the time Pitts opened fire on Davis.

The killings of Davis and veteran Anthony Hill have sparked outrage in the DeKalb Community, leading to protests demanding the implementation of body cameras for all police officers.