Nearly a year after former Georgia State Patrol Officer Jacob Thompson killed a Black motorist named Julian Lewis, a 22-person grand jury has decided not to indict Thompson. The incident in question took place last August during a slow-speed chase involving Thompson and the 60-year-old Lewis. During the encounter, Thompson said he felt threatened and that is why he fired his gun less than five seconds after leaving his vehicle. Despite the case put forth by the prosecution and a judge indicating that there is enough evidence to proceed with a trial, the grand jury made the decision to let Thompson go free.
“It was a runaway grand jury,” Lewis family attorney, Francys Johnson, told WSAV.
“We think it was set on a track to run away by forces that never wanted to see Jacob Gordon Thompson prosecuted in the first place.”
Moving forward, Johnson and members of the Lewis family are calling for the district attorney's office to present their case again at a later date. Johnson told WSAV that prosecutors may not have been "zealous" enough when presenting their case during the first go around.
"I feel like if he took my son away from me, we need some justice on this. He needs to do some time or something," Lewis' mother, Lindsay Milton, said.
“Empanel another grand jury and as you took an oath and promised this family what you would do is prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law. The law gives you another opportunity to make another presentation, and we expect you do so," Johnson added.
Thompson's attorney has not issued a public statement regarding the grand jury's decision. Legal experts expect this case to carry on into the future and therefore, Thompson is not cleared just yet.
“We’re going to push it and push it until we can’t push no more,” Milton said.
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