Torrey Thompson case hits the Georgia
Supreme Court
At 3 a.m. on September 12, 2006, DeKalb
Officer Torrey Thompson's life changed forever. He
was
forced to kill a suspect. Thompson now has
been
charged with felony murder, manslaughter,
aggravated
assault, and violation of an oath by an officer following
the fatal shooting
of Lorenzo
Matthews, a wanted dangerous
felon who had demonstrated willingness
to put others in
harm’s way to avoid arrest.
Oral arguments have gone before the Georgia Supreme Court
with a
decision still pending.
The DeKalb District Attorney is appealing a lower
court
ruling that barred Thompson's testimony as protected by Garrity vs.
New Jersey. Even if the statements are
allowed to stand, the case against
Torrey is quite weak, but
the outcome of this case is important to law
enforcement
officers nationwide.
The next two links are copies of the briefs filed by
Torrey's attorney, Bill Atkins. These are well
worth
your attention.
Appelles's Brief Filed
Immunity Brief Filed
Below are additional resources for information on this case.