Lithonia Man Convicted Of Killing Girlfriend, Shooting DeKalb Officer

DECATUR, GA — A Lithonia man was convicted this week of shooting his girlfriend to death and injuring a DeKalb County police officer in August 2019 at Hodgdon Corners Cove.

A jury found Otis Dennis Walker, 32, guilty of several charges, including malice murder, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced Wednesday in a news release.

Walker was also convicted Tuesday of felony murder, aggravated assault, three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, Boston said.

His charges stem from the shooting death of Aleka Simmons, 27, and the shooting of a DeKalb officer who was 48-years-old at the time, Boston said.

The shooting happened the morning of Aug. 1, 2019, in the 4800 block of Hodgdon Corners Cove. Boston said an officer was responding to a person shot call, when Walker shot the officer four times.

SWAT was called to the scene, and officers approached the home to check on the woman who had been shot. Boston said Simmons was found in an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The officer was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for and recovered from his injuries, Boston said.

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office's Fugitive Task Force and DeKalb officers arrested Walker on Aug. 8, 2019, when authorities found a signed apology to the officer and the police department for his actions, Boston said.

Walker claimed he was acting in self-defense when he shot Simmons and claimed he "shot toward the ground at responding officers to provoke them to shoot and kill him," read the release.

DeKalb Superior Court Judge Yolanda Parker-Smith is scheduled to sentence Walker at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25.