Officer Who Shot, Killed Suspected Car Thief Fired

Atlanta, GA — An off-duty Atlanta police officer who shot and killed a suspected car thief in Midtown has been fired.

The incident happened on June 23, when James Burns shot Deravis Caine Rogers, 22, in the parking lot of Monroe Place apartments on Piedmont Road.

On Monday, the Atlanta Police Department fired Burns for violating department policy and using "unnecessary and unreasonable" force in the shooting, reports WSB-TV.

Burns, 34, was hired by the department in 2013. He was working as a courtesy officer at the apartment complex, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

At the time of the incident, a police spokesman said Burns chased Rogers and called for backup. Rogers then got in a car and attempted to leave. Several other off-duty officers then arrived, and Rogers still attempted to leave. Burns reportedly felt threatened, and that's when he shot Rogers.

Rogers then crashed into a parked SUV at the Cirque restaurant. He was rushed to a local hospital where he later died.

On Monday, police said Rogers was suspected of breaking into vehicles, but Burns didn't know who was in the car and had no evidence of any attempted car break-ins at the time of the shooting.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is continuing its investigation.

Atlanta has been the scene of four consecutive nights of protests over police shootings nationwide. While all of the protests so far have been in downtown, another is being organized via social media in the upscale community of Buckhead.

On Monday, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said officers have been subjected to insults and obscenities during the protests, and in some instances, had water bottles thrown at them.

See also:

• Thousands in Atlanta Protest Police Shootings
• Ten Arrested in Atlanta Protests
• Police Shoot, Kill Man Trying to Break Into Cars in Midtown