DeKalb police have officially asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigations to look into the officer-involved shooting last December 29 in which Kevin Davis was killed.

Davis, 44, was shot after officer Joseph Pitts responded to Davis’ 911 call that a man had stabbed his girlfriend.

The officer was confronted by Davis’ dog and killed it when he feared it would bite him. Davis was shot when he appeared with a gun and refused to drop it, said public safety director Cedric Alexander.

Family and supporters sought the GBI’s involvement, likening the killing of Davis, who had no record of trouble with the law, to “murder.”

Alexander didn’t say Davis pointed the weapon. But he said that the officer felt threatened when he saw the pistol in Davis’ hand at his side.

Asked if Davis would have to point the pistol to be a bona-fide threat, Alexander told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “I can’t speak for that officer. That officer had to interpret that threat.”

About the Author

Keep Reading

As the violence at Macon State Prison has intensified, so, too, have the calls for ambulance service. And because of those calls, the county now finds itself dealing with an unexpected and costly burden: more than $100,000 in unpaid bills. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Featured

People join a rally in support for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees on Tuesday afternoon, April 1, 2025, at the Atlanta headquarters after federal cuts triggered significant layoffs. (Photo: Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Jenni Girtman