An off-duty Atlanta police officer shot and killed a local rapper 17 times in the back during an incident outside a bar last month, according to newly released autopsy results that have intensified demands for criminal charges.
The Fatal Encounter
Linton Blackwell, a 44-year-old father of twin daughters known in Atlanta's music scene as "B-Green", was killed on October 11 outside the Five Paces Inn in the city's Buckhead neighbourhood. The shooting occurred when off-duty officer Gerald Walker, who was working a security job at the establishment, responded to reports of a disruptive person.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's report, Walker observed Blackwell attempting to re-enter the bar through a back entrance. The rapper then walked away toward a nearby parking lot, entered a vehicle, and "put an item in the small of his back". The officer issued commands "in reference to a gun" before opening fire. Blackwell was pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators later recovered a firearm.
Family's Outrage and Disputed Narrative
The autopsy findings have sparked outrage among Blackwell's family and friends, who dispute the official account and maintain the shooting was unjustified. Timothy Coleman, Blackwell's manager and longtime friend, expressed shock at the number of shots fired into his friend's back.
"I just couldn't believe it was 17 times in the back," Coleman told local media. "There's not one shot in the front. That means he wasn't facing you. He wasn't a threat."
Coleman acknowledged there had been an altercation inside the bar earlier that evening but insisted the shooting response was disproportionate. "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 questioned.
Ongoing Investigations and Demands for Justice
Blackwell's cousin, Jimmy Hill, told Capital B Atlanta that the family remains devastated by the loss and frustrated by the lack of transparency. "They never did say he pointed a weapon at that officer," Hill noted, highlighting what the family perceives as critical omissions in the official narrative.
Coleman believes Walker chased Blackwell before killing him, stating: "The officer ensued, chased him down and gunned him down... that's what we know." The officer emerged from the incident uninjured.
Multiple investigations are now underway. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading the initial probe, after which the case will be transferred to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office to determine whether Walker's actions were justified or if criminal charges should be filed. The Atlanta Police Department has also opened an internal investigation into the incident.
As the investigations continue, Blackwell's loved ones remember him as a devoted family man and respected figure in Atlanta's music community. "He was a loving family man," Coleman said. "He just leaves a lot behind."
The family's demand for justice remains unwavering, with Coleman adding: "I want him locked up. Gerald Walker needs to be behind bars."
