========
All of David Sturdivant's possessions fit in a paper sack he held tightly as he waited Friday in a wheelchair, with a folded walker, outside the Fulton County Jail. He had been an inmate there since a police officer shot him in the stomach seven months ago.
David Sturdivant, who was shot in the stomach and arrested by the Atlanta Police Department in April, was released from jail today Friday November 11, 2011 after the charges against him were dropped.
Pipes, tires and trash are scattered all over the property once owned by David Sturdivant on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. His deceased father's house is on the property but it also has been looted.
Since then, the 64-year-old former Marine and Purple Heart recipient has lost a kidney, his home, his business and all his belongings. But Friday he gained his freedom after prosecutors dismissed six felony charges related to an incident at Sturdivant's home where he shot at someone he thought was stealing from him.
"I'm numb," Sturdivant said, his gray beard long and his once-salt-and-pepper hair much lighter than when he was arrested on April 8. On that day Sturdivant fired four intermittent shots from his commercial-grade M14 into the dirt to frighten off a man he thought was a thief.
Police officers were nearby and heard the gunfire. Moments later, one of them shouted "drop your weapon" and a second later fired, according to a recording of the event.
Sturdivant, who was on the second-floor porch outside his bedroom, said he never heard the shot from police and he didn't really feel it.
"I looked down and saw a hole in my side," Sturdivant said. "I backed up. I kneeled down and put the gun down. Gathered my wits and stood up and walked to the side"
In addition to losing a kidney, Sturdivant said he also lost "several inches" of his colon.
No comments:
Post a Comment