Insets, from left: Atlanta police Officer Gerald Walker (APD) and Linton Blackwell (Capital B Atlanta). Background: Atlanta police investigate an officer involved shooting on Oct. 12, 2025 (WXIA).
A postmortem examination has revealed that a Georgia police officer, while off-duty, shot a rapper 17 times in the back during an altercation outside a bar.
The event unfolded shortly after 11:30 p.m. on October 12 near Atlanta's 5 Paces Inn. Officer Gerald Walker, who was working an extra shift at the bar, responded to a report about a "disruptive person," according to Atlanta police.
Upon arrival, Walker identified the individual as Linton "B-Green" Blackwell, aged 44, trying to access the bar through a rear entrance. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reports that Blackwell then moved away from Walker toward a parking area. Walker observed Blackwell getting into a car and placing something at the base of his back. This prompted Walker to issue warnings "in reference to a gun" before discharging his weapon, striking Blackwell.
Emergency personnel declared Blackwell dead at the scene, and a firearm was retrieved nearby.
However, Blackwell's relatives and friends are questioning the necessity of the shooting. Their doubts intensified following an autopsy that indicated Blackwell was struck 17 times in the back, as reported by local NBC affiliate WXIA.
"Seventeen times in the back, it's unbelievable," remarked Timothy Coleman, Blackwell's friend and manager, to the TV station. "Not a single shot in the front."
Coleman said he does not believe the shooting was justified.
"If he wasn't pointing a gun at you or doing anything, what does that have to do with shooting him in the back 17 times?" he said in an interview with WXIA. "That means he wasn't facing you. He wasn't a threat."
Walker needs to be charged with a crime, said Coleman.
"I want him locked up," Coleman emphasized. "Gerald Walker needs to be behind bars."
GBI is the lead agency investigating the case. Once it is done with the investigation, it will turn over the findings to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office for review. Prosecutors will determine whether the officer was justified in shooting Blackwell or should face criminal charges. The investigation is ongoing.