The family of 18-year-old Zadarious Dorsey plans to pursue a $75 million wrongful-death claim against the City of Newnan after he was shot and killed by a police officer during a foot chase in Georgia.
Lawyers representing the family issued formal notice to Newnan officials on Friday, arguing that available video evidence shows Dorsey did not pose an immediate threat when the officer opened fire. Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump, Harry Daniels, Graylin Ward and Gerald Griggs are representing the family.
The announcement follows a private review of body-worn camera and surveillance footage by Dorsey’s relatives, lawyers and community leaders. The family has questioned why the teenager was pursued when he was not the subject of a traffic stop and was not suspected of committing an active offence, according to the legal team.
What happened during the Newnan police shooting
The shooting happened shortly after 1am on 3 October in Newnan, Coweta County. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said an officer saw a white car near Dodson Street and Martin Luther King Jr Drive before following it to Cliff Circle.
Five men left the vehicle when the officer approached. One walked towards a nearby home while four ran away, according to the GBI. The officer pursued Dorsey and deployed a Taser, but investigators said it was ineffective.
The officer told investigators that Dorsey pulled a gun from his waistband and ignored repeated orders to drop it before the officer fired several shots. Dorsey was taken to hospital but later died from his injuries. No officer was hurt.
Surveillance footage reviewed by the family’s lawyers appears to show the encounter lasting about two minutes. They say the officer stopped Dorsey, who was running away, while other people who had been in the car were allowed to leave.
Investigators recovered a Canik 9mm pistol with an extended magazine and one round in the chamber about 42ft diagonally ahead of where Dorsey fell. Forensic testing completed on 15 October found his DNA on the weapon.
The family’s lawyers argue that the location of the gun indicates Dorsey had discarded it before he was shot. Authorities have not publicly established whether he threw the weapon while running or was still holding it when the officer fired.
“The video clearly shows that the officer had no reason to believe that Zadarious ever had a gun,” Mr Daniels said. He argued that Dorsey was legally entitled to run from what the lawyers describe as an unlawful detention.
The officer’s account differs from the family’s interpretation of the footage. The GBI’s preliminary findings state that the officer saw Dorsey draw a gun and gave commands for him to stop and drop it before shooting.
The officer had encountered Dorsey on previous occasions, including an incident at Newnan High School in August 2023 and two earlier gun-related arrests. During the chase, the officer referred to Dorsey by his nickname, “Dae Dae”.
Dorsey had been prohibited from possessing a firearm under the conditions of bonds imposed following arrests in Coweta County in October 2025 and Carroll County in February this year.
Investigation remains ongoing
Coweta County District Attorney Herb Cranford said the criminal review would focus on whether the officer reasonably believed deadly force was necessary to protect himself from death or serious injury.
Mr Cranford has not taken a position on whether the officer had legal grounds to stop Dorsey, saying that question was separate from whether the use of deadly force was justified under Georgia law.
He has briefed members of Dorsey’s family, their lawyers, local clergy, Newnan Mayor James Shepherd and Coweta County Commissioner Al Smith on evidence gathered during the investigation.
The GBI is conducting an independent inquiry, which will then be passed to the district attorney’s office for a decision on whether criminal charges are supported by the evidence. The officer involved has not been publicly named.
The final medical examiner’s report has not yet been released. Mr Cranford has said body-worn camera footage and other evidence will be made public after the GBI investigation is complete.
