Five White Georgia police officers, two from Henry County and three from the Hampton Police Department were charged with malice murder and other charges for the September 2019 homicide of a 24-year-old Hispanic male.
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
November 24, 2021
Hampton, Georgia - A Henry County grand jury indicted two Henry County Police Officers Robert Butera and Quinton Phillips, and three Hampton Police Officers Mason Lewis, Marcus Stroud and Gregory Bowlden were each charged with one felony count for malice murder, two counts of felony murder and one count of aggravated assault including violation of oath in connection with the September 2019 homicide of Fernando Rodriguez, 24, outside of the Atlanta Motor Speedway, which was hosting the Imagine Music Festival.
If convicted of all charges, each officer is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Butera, Phillips, Lewis, Stroud and Bowlden turned themselves in to the Henry County Sheriff's Office for booking on Monday and were released after posting $100,000 cash bail each.
Stroud, Bowlden and Lewis have resigned as officers.
The criminal indictment says that police were called about an unidentified man walking naked just outside of the festival event. The officers responding to the scene noticed Rodriguez walking in the middle of the road while being naked and was ordered to stop. Rodriguez wasn't combative, but seemed disorientated, uncooperative and confused as the officers tased Rodriguez at least 15 times. He was then handcuffed and was rolled over and an officer pressed Rodriguez to the ground. Other officers also knelt on Rodriguez's arms, neck and back making it hard for him to breath.
Rodriguez, on September 20, 2019 was taken to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries on September 23, 2019. His death was ruled a homicide and cause of death was asphyxiation, according to the Henry County Coroner's Office.
Rodriguez's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Hampton Police Department and reached an out of court settlement for $3,000,000.
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