Residents call to reopen Sammie Davis Jr. case

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – It’s been eight years since Sammie Davis Jr. was killed by former Macon Police Department officer Clayton Sutton.

Residents gathered for a news conference at Rosa Parks Square on Monday seeking justice for Davis in the 2012 shooting.

“This officer took the life of an innocent man,” said C. Jack Ellis, former Macon Mayor.

Activists say the case was never investigated thoroughly.

“That case should be revisited, it should be reopened. We know you can get DNA on a suspect if you want to, officers know how to do that,” Ellis said.

After an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, District Attorney David Cooke ruled officer Sutton acted properly.

“I call in the GBI to reexamine all of the evidence and to provide a neutral and projected 3rd party analysis of what happened and to give me their findings,” said Cooke.

According to Cooke, his office reviewed the GBI’s findings. They also provided a copy of the evidence to the US Justice Department, US Attorney Eric Holder and President Barack Obama for an additional review.

“Both independent reviews concluded there was no evidence to pursue charges against officer Sutton,” Cooke said.

“If anyone has any new credible evidence that calls into question of these findings that corroborated the eyewitness testimony, I would personally be more than happy to reopen the case,” Cooke said.