Savannah Police body cam footage reveals some answers, raises new questions
Maurice Mincey's family has waited nearly a year to find out what really happened the night he was shot and killed by Savannah police just outside his home at the intersection of East Bolton Street and Waters Avenue.
His fiancée Maria Scott has publicly detailed her efforts to determine the status of the investigation into Mincey’s death, having twice asked for a status update on the case.
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It was a question the Savannah Morning News had asked Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones in January when discussing open Georgia Bureau of Investigation cases, specifically that of William Zachary Harvey, who died in police custody in April 2021. Mincey's shooting, especially, because some details in the initial GBI statement about the case were later walked back.
At the time, Jones said the review process was “intense,” and that the Mincey case would be reviewed by her executive team first, followed by the public integrity unit. The file would then proceed to Jones for her to sign off on the unit's recommendation.
More: Chatham DA says it depends on evidence if officers will be prosecuted in William Harvey's death
Last year, Jones set a goal for her office to review the five pending police-involved cases and issue a public opinion within 120 days. In January, she told SMN it had been a challenge. As of May 29, five more police shootings have been added to review process, according to GBI.
On June 7, more than 11 months after Mincey's death, Scott was finally told no charges would be filed in Mincey's death and that the case was closed.
Now, through an open records request, SMN has received police body camera footage from the SPD that sheds light on what happened on the night of July 17, 2021.
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More: Chatham DA declines to file charges against SPD officer who shot, killed Savannah man
Over the next few days, reporters and editors will cull through footage to piece together Mincey’s last moments seeking to answer the questions at the center of this: How did a traffic stop stretch to 50 minutes and end with the shooting death of Mincey? What police operation, as the family was told, was underway?
Savannah Morning News has committed to covering public safety by looking at root causes for gun violence, telling stories with nuance and depth, and holding accountable not only those who perpetuate violence but those sworn to protect and serve our community throughout the criminal justice system. Part of that coverage has involved persistent pursuit of the events surrounding police-involved shootings.
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Raisa is a watchdog and investigative reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Contact her at rhabersham@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah police release body cam footage in man's shooting death
