Teen with machete shot, killed by police

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The 15-year-old boy shot and killed by police officers Monday night was taken to the hospital by deputies less than a week before, police said Tuesday.

On Dec. 13, deputies and firefighters responded to caller reporting a teen boy had overdosed, Sgt. Stephen Wilbanks with the Hall County Sheriff's Office told the AJC.

When deputies arrived at the home, which is near the Hall-Gwinnett county line, the teenager was standing in the road about 200 yards from the home, Wilbanks said. Deputies then transported the teen to Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

Tuesday afternoon, the teenager, identified as Dawntree Ta'Shawn Williams, allegedly locked family members inside a room of a two-story home in the 3300 block of Windward Gate Lane, off Friendship Road near Buford, and threatened to kill them, Cpl. Edwin Ritter with Gwinnett police said.

Someone inside the home was able to call 911 around 3:15 p.m. Monday, and two uniformed police officers were dispatched to the home, Ritter said. The teenager confronted the officers outside the home, and with the machete in his hand, charged the officers “in a full dead sprint," Ritter said.

The two officers ordered Williams to drop the weapon, but he did not, police said.

"The 15-year-old refused to comply with the commands and the officers were forced to shoot him as they were presented with this deadly threat," Ritter said in a statement.

Information on the number of shots fired was not available Monday night.

Williams was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries. No officers were injured in the incident, police said.

Anita Harris, who told Channel 2 Action News that she was Williams' grandmother, said her grandson dropped the machete when officers ordered him to do so.

She said her grandson was mentally challenged and she never felt in danger. She also said his therapist called police Monday to get help for him.

Both officers have been placed on administrative leave per the police department's protocol.

--Dispatch editor Angel K. Brooks contributed to this article.