FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The family of a teenager gunned down while stealing an unmarked police car met with the district attorney's office.
Last month, 18-year-old D'ettrick Griffin was shot as he allegedly tried to steal a plainclothes Atlanta Police officer’s unmarked car from the Shell gas station on Whitehall Street. Griffin managed to drive the car out of the station’s parking lot, but died at the scene after hitting two cars.
His family told 11Alive they understand the teen was committing a crime, but say that Griffin didn’t deserve to die. Griffin was reportedly driving away from the officer and was not armed at the time. The family is suing the City of Atlanta in a $5 million lawsuit, claiming the officer was not justified in shooting him.
“Even though my son did wrong, it was not left up to him (the officer) to execute my son,” Griffin’s mother Gaysha Glover told 11Alive’s La'Tasha Givens.
The family's attorney Jonathan Hibbert told 11Alive shortly after Griffin's death, they believed what happened to the 18-year-old was murder.
'HE WAS MURDERED': Family of teen shot, killed by Atlanta officer demand answers
“Grand theft auto itself does not carry the capital punishment,” he said.
The family told 11Alive the they had been trying to meet with the D.A.'s office ever since Griffin died. The meeting finally happened Thursday after a previously failed attempt because of the Super Bowl and bad weather.
Griffin's family and their attorney met with multiple ADAs and the investigative team working this case. The family said the meeting was "comforting" because the office showed a genuine concern. They said it also brought a lot of clarity, and they now have a better understanding of the process. They added that the D.A.'s office assured them this will be a rapid investigation that will not last a long time.
Both the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Fulton County D.A. are conducting separate investigations. Meanwhile, the officer, Oliver Simmonds, remains on administrative leave.
