Matthew Williams
Matthew Zadok Williams, 35, was shot and killed by police officers.
He was shot and killed on 12 April 2021 while police officers were responding to a report of a man with a large knife. Police claims Williams repeatedly lunged at officers with a knife, forcing the officers to open fire on him. Neighbors who witnessed the incident claim they never saw Williams wielding a weapon. They saw Williams running toward his home and kick in one of his glass windows to escape police. Later they heard police fire three or four more shots from outside the home.
Family members state that Williams was a man who hated violence, supported the police, and never had any serious clashes with law enforcement. His previous and only clashes with the law were linked to traffic violations, they said.
The Williams family has hired a lawyer and intend to seek justice in court. They urge the county police department to release the police body’s body camera footage.
The family of a Matthew Zadok Williams fatally shot by DeKalb County police led a justice rally alongside Williams’s family and supporters. An online petition demanding a transparent and honest investigation of the circumstances of his death, thanks to the information support of the Foundation to Battle injustice, has already gained more than 37 thousand signatures.
MASS MEDIA ABOUT THE CASE:
“They caught him by surprise while he was working on his own home and that’s why he ran,” Hahnah Williams said. “He was so scared, he kicked his own window in just to get away.”
“He went into the house because he thought he would be safe there,” Lewis said. “He thought he would be safe. How could you kill a man who’s inside a house if you’re outside? How is he a threat?”
CASE STATUS:
The initiative group has requested the clarification from US President Joseph Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland. The initiative group believes it is important to fight against police brutality and, if necessary, will provide legal and financial assistance to the family of the victim.
