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CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. – The family of a 68-year-old man killed by police said last week they wanted to see the body cam video to see if their loved one was really a threat.
A few days later, they now have it.
Charles Calhoun’s family just buried him on Saturday, so they aren’t ready to comment on the release of the video just yet.
The video shows the Clayton County officer who fired the shot that killed Calhoun last month, but since it doesn’t show Calhoun, it offers limited evidence of what he did.
“Put down your gun. Put down the (expletive) gun now,” the officer told Calhoun on the video. “I’m going to turn on your (expletive). Put it down.
After the officer fires the fatal bullet, the video shows the officers begin to administer first aid. Calhoun died shortly thereafter.
Last Friday, his wife begged the police to release the body camera video so that she could determine for herself if her husband posed a threat.
“I mean, if the cameras show any justification for what…I can live with this. I can’t live with this until I know,” Calhoun’s wife, Sheryl Calhoun, said.
It all started around 5:20 a.m. in early March when neighbors started calling 911.
“There’s an old man who’s like stumbling around the neighborhood with a gun,” said a 911 caller.
They reported seeing an elderly man in pajamas walking, sitting and pointing his rifle at the houses.
Some worried about his mental health.
“Looks like he’s a little older, maybe with dementia,” one told the 911 operator.
Others said he fired shots.
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“It’s a man in my backyard shooting,” said another caller.
Body camera video shows the shotgun Calhoun had and spent cartridge cases.
On Friday, his wife said someone had recently tried to break into their home.
On the morning of the shooting, she said her husband called her and told her he thought someone was trying to break in again.
“He said, ‘I’m going to go out and see what I see,'” Sheryl Calhoun said.
Sheryl Calhoun said COVID-19 made it difficult for her husband to walk and he often fell. She thinks his health issues are the reason so many neighbors have said he keeps sleeping.
Sheryl Calhoun said her husband probably had no idea the police were the ones hiding behind the houses.
Police said they fired after Charles Calhoun pointed his gun at them.
Because Charles Calhoun is not visible in the video, it is not possible to use the video to confirm whether he pointed his gun at any officers. No verbal command is audible until a shot has been fired.
Police said they had limited information about Calhoun, that it was dark and raining. Calhoun’s family say these reasons explain why police needed to investigate further before using lethal force.
“He was an owner who protected his family. Protect our home. And you took it all from us,” Charles Calhoun’s sister Chelsea Calhoun said.
Clayton County Police released a statement saying they would add nothing to the video. Police say the release of the video and 911 calls is in line with Chief Kevin Roberts’ transparency policy.
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