Since the 2017 incident, the three former Washington County Sheriff’s deputies involved, Henry Lee Copeland, Michael Howell and Rhett Scott, all of whom are white, have maintained that Martin had physically threatened them after allegedly Illegally walking in the roadway.

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However, a nearly hourlong evidence footage of the fatal arrest failed to corroborate those claims.

The GBI agent, John Durden, told jurors that the trio shouldn’t have stopped and detained Martin, a reported schizophrenic who briefly stopped at the home of Cyrus Harris for a drink of water during an over 20-mile journey from Milledgeville to Sandersville during an extremely hot day in July, according to news outlet WSAV.

“I don’t think there was a crime, enough to stop him for reasonable suspicion,” Durden concluded as reported by several local news stations.

When asked by prosecutor Kelly Weathers “Was Eurie Martin constitutionally entitled to keep walking in your opinion?” Dureden responded, “Yes,” though he agreed Martin had crossed the white line from the shoulder into the roadway, based on photos presented by the defense.

Deputy Howell encountered Martin after the resident of a home, Cyrus Harris, had refused Martin water and later placed a call with dispatchers stating, “I got a guy walking off the side of the road here, just walked in my yard. I don’t know where he was crazy, drunk or what.”

Source: ‘Don’t Think There Was a Crime’: Use of Force Expert Says Black Georgia Man Who Died After Police Encounter Following Neighbor’s 911 Call Committed No Crime That Warranted the Stop