DOJ Officials Meet With Sammie Davis’ Family, Local Leaders

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The controversy and concern surrounding the shooting death of a Macon man outside of Kroger, has prompted federal authorities to intervene.

It’s been almost two months now, since Macon Police Officer Clayton Sutton shot and killed Sammie Davis, Jr. outside of the Kroger on Pio Nono Avenue.

This past week, the family of Davis and local leaders met with representatives with the Department of Justice.

Anthony Harris, a close friend of the Davis’ family, said a representative with the Department of Justice Community Relations Service reached out to him sometime last week to discuss the Davis case, the Macon Police Department and racial tension. Harris, along with Macon City Council member Lauren Benedict, Macon City Council member Tom Ellington and community activist Al Tillman met at the Davis’ family home with a DOJ representative. Together, the group, along with several others, discussed ways to improve racial relations in Macon.

“I think anyone who doesn’t acknowledge that we have racial tension in Macon, is just not living in reality, so I just think it’s positive that we acknowledge where there is tension and we work to understand our differences and our similarities through these things,” Benedict said.

The meeting lasted almost three hours. According to Harris, a DOJ representative at the meeting was expected to meet with Macon Police Chief Mike Burns and Macon Mayor Robert Reichert that same day. 41NBC reached out to MPD Spokesperson Jami Gaudet who would not confirm that information.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigations is currently on the case, and is expected to hand it’s findings over the Bibb County District Attorney’s Office any day now.