Atlanta authorities are investigating a “suspicious” fire that destroyed the northwest home of a Vietnam veteran who was in jail at the time, according to Channel 2 Action news.
Fire fighters were called around 2 a.m. to Bolton Road, the home of David Sturdivant.
Sturdivant, known in the neighborhood as the "lawn mower man," has been in the Fulton County Jail without bond since April 12 on seven felony charges.
Firefighters have not determined what started the fire.
“I will say it’s suspicious. The time of morning, don’t know exactly what’s happening,” Atlanta fire Capt. Dwayne Johnson told WSB TV.
Sturdivant's yard was littered with abandoned cars and other machinery. He had a shop adjacent to his house where he repaired law mowers which earned him the name of "lawn mower man" around the neighborhood.
Then almost seven weeks ago, frustrated with constantly being the target of thieves who took from his yard, Sturdivant came onto his second-floor balcony naked and armed with a rifle after he spotted two men in his yard – one in the front and one in the back, according to neighbors' accounts.
The neighbors told reporters shortly after the shooting that they heard Sturdivant shout, “Get out of my yard and quit stealing my stuff."
The neighbors said the man in the front yard responded by goading Sturdivant. Sturdivant then shot in the direction of the man in the front yard and still the suspected would-be thief continued to taunt Sturdivant.
“Atlanta police officers were passing by when they heard the gunshot/s and saw a family of three walking past the front of the house,” one officer wrote in a report that was obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Sergeant K. Lambert and Officer R. Price stopped and quickly moved the family to safety and gained cover while also establishing sight of the gunman.”
The report said Sturdivant then “pointed the rifle at officers” and all three policemen fired.
Atlanta SWAT officers and hostage negotiators were called to the property west of downtown Atlanta, according to the report.
On the recording of Sturdivant's call to 911, which The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also obtained, helicopters could be heard hovering over Sturdivant’s property.
“Yes, ma’am. I need an ambulance at Bolton and Collier. I’m shot,” Sturdivant said on the recording.
“Some guy tried to rob stuff out of my yard and I took some shots at him,” Sturdivant said. “Next thing I know, here come the police. I’m sitting downstairs waiting for somebody to come get me.”
Sturdivant said he was shot in the stomach.
The 911 operator asks Sturdivant, “Sir, who shot you? The guy that was trying to take the stuff out of your yard?”
“The police,” Sturdivant said.
“The police?” she asks.
“The police,” Sturdivant said again.
Then the operator asks, “Where’s the person that shot you?” and Sturdivant tells her “the police. There was about a half dozen of them.”
A short time later, Sturdivant is taken from his house on a gurney. He spent several days in custody at Grady Memorial Hospital until he was well enough to be taken to the Fulton County Jail.
The officer wrote on the report that there was an outstanding warrant against Sturdivant for failing to appear in court to answer a 2008 citation for carrying a pistol without a license.
He also is now charged four counts of aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer apparently for point the rifle in the direction of the officers, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for shooting in the direction of the suspected thief, one count of possession of a firearm while in the commission of a crime and a 2008 charge of carrying a pistol without a license.
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