A recent autopsy has revealed that an off-duty police officer from Georgia shot and killed a rapper by firing 17 bullets into his back during a confrontation outside a popular bar.

The tragic incident unfolded on the night of October 12, just after 11:30 p.m., outside Atlanta’s 5 Paces Inn. Officer Gerald Walker, who was working an extra shift at the bar, responded to reports of a “disruptive person” on the premises, according to a statement from Atlanta police.

The officer identified the individual as 44-year-old Linton “B-Green” Blackwell. As Blackwell attempted to re-enter the bar through a back entrance, Walker’s attention was drawn to him. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported that Blackwell began to walk away from the officer and headed towards a parking lot. It was there that Walker observed Blackwell entering a vehicle and seemingly placing something in the small of his back. Officer Walker issued verbal warnings concerning a potential firearm before discharging his weapon, which led to Blackwell’s death.

Emergency medical personnel responded quickly, but Blackwell was pronounced dead at the scene. Law enforcement officers did recover a firearm from the vicinity.

The circumstances surrounding Blackwell’s death have raised significant questions among his family and friends, who are challenging the justification behind the officer’s actions. Their concerns have intensified with the autopsy’s findings, which showed Blackwell was shot 17 times in the back, as reported by local NBC affiliate WXIA.

“I just couldn’t believe it was 17 times in the back,” Blackwell’s friend and manager Timothy Coleman told the TV station. “There’s not one shot in the front.”

Coleman said he does not believe the shooting was justified.

“If he wasn’t pointing a gun at you or doing anything, what does that have to do with shooting him in the back 17 times?” he said in an interview with WXIA. “That means he wasn’t facing you. He wasn’t a threat.”

Walker needs to be charged with a crime, said Coleman.

“I want him locked up,” Coleman emphasized. “Gerald Walker needs to be behind bars.”

GBI is the lead agency investigating the case. Once it is done with the investigation, it will turn over the findings to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office for review. Prosecutors will determine whether the officer was justified in shooting Blackwell or should face criminal charges. The investigation is ongoing.