Off-duty Atlanta officer not charged in fatal Buckhead pedestrian crash
No charges are being filed after an off-duty Atlanta police officer was driving through Buckhead in early November and hit and killed a pedestrian, officials said.
On Nov. 2, officers responded to the scene at 3365 Piedmont Road, a retail center that includes Twin Peaks, Ru San’s and Farm Burger, just before 11:30 p.m., Atlanta police said in a news release. The off-duty officer who had been driving stayed with the pedestrian and attempted to give the man first aid, but he was declared dead at the scene.
Georgia State Patrol troopers also responded and conducted an investigation into the crash. The GSP identified the officer as 25-year-old Malik Shields and the victim as 59-year-old Philip Sutter of Irving, Texas.
It was determined that Shields was driving his privately owned vehicle and turned left from Lenox Road onto Piedmont Road when Sutter “darted into the lane of travel” and was struck, GSP spokeswoman Franka Young said. She added that the crash occurred between two traffic signals and that the road was dark. No charges were filed in the crash.
About the Author
Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.
