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In Sandersville, Georgia, a jury has acquitted three former sheriff’s deputies of murder charges related to the death of Eurie Martin, a Black man. Martin’s death occurred after he approached a white homeowner to ask for water, an act that aroused suspicion in the small town.
Martin, 58, was subjected to multiple Taser shocks when he did not respond to questions from the deputies. The officers—Henry Lee Copeland, Michael Howell, and Rhett Scott—claimed Martin was unlawfully walking in the road, littered by discarding a soda can, and showed aggressive non-compliance with their commands.
After a protracted legal battle spanning eight years and two trials, the jury returned verdicts late Thursday, acquitting all three of aggravated assault charges. While Scott was fully cleared of all charges, the jury could not reach a consensus on involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct charges against Copeland and Howell, leading to a deadlock. This follows a previous trial in 2021 that also ended in a deadlock on all counts.
Following the verdict, Karen Scott expressed relief over her son Rhett’s acquittal, saying, “We’re elated. Sorry for the Martin family, but we are just elated.”
Despite the acquittals, civil rights attorney Francys Johnson continues to seek justice for the Martin family through a federal lawsuit. “As a free man in this country, he should have been able to walk home,” Johnson asserted, emphasizing the ongoing pursuit for accountability and justice.
“After eight long years, I’m just very disappointed,” said Martin’s sister Helen Gilbert.
The local district attorney had recused himself from the second trial, citing a conflict, and prosecution was passed to Don Kelley, the district attorney in Columbus. Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, said Friday that Kelley would have to decide whether to seek a third trial of Copeland and Howell on the involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct charges.
Martin had been walking through the town of Deepstep in 95-degree heat in July 2017, taking a 30-mile (50-kilometer) journey to see his relatives for his birthday. Trial testimony showed he was under considerable stress from the heat, had a preexisting weakened heart and was dehydrated. He also had been treated for schizoaffective disorder, his family said. The trial was covered by Georgia Public Broadcasting and WMAZ.
The homeowner who alerted authorities, Cyrus Harris Jr., testified about seeing Martin walk into his yard.
“He was a Black man, big guy,” Harris recalled. “He was a rough-looking character. He looked like he hadn’t had a bath in several days.”
Harris said he noticed Martin carried half a soda can in his hand.
“That’s when he told me he wanted some water. And I wasn’t going to go for that,” said Harris, who called 911.
The responding deputies found Martin in the roadway. They said he refused to stop walking, threw down the can and took an aggressive stance, prompting them to fire Tasers when he didn’t follow instructions. Dash-cameras and bystander cellphones recorded what happened next: Martin was surrounded by the deputies as a puff of smoke appeared when a Taser discharged. Martin flopped to the ground, then picked himself up and tried to walk away.
Deputies ultimately pulled the triggers at least 15 times, sending current into Martin’s body for about a minute and a half in total. An autopsy by a Georgia Bureau of Investigation medical examiner concluded his death was a homicide. The Washington County sheriff fired all three of these men after Martin’s death
In his closing argument, defense attorney Shawn Merzlak said their use of force was reasonable.
“This case is not ‘poor Mr. Eurie Martin getting tased because he wanted water,’” Merzlak told jurors. “Police officers have a right to detain somebody if they suspect they have committed a crime.”
Prosecutor George Lipscomb closed by calling that rationale absurd.
“They want this to be the standard for your community: People killed for littering?” Lipscomb asked jurors. “People killed by walking in the street? Is that Washington County? Is this who you are?”