SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — A grieving mother whose son was gunned downed outside a bar in South Fulton is demanding justice after learning new details on the criminal history of the Atlanta Police officer who's accused of pulling the trigger.
On Aug. 5, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was requested by the City of South Fulton Police Department following a shooting in the parking lot of Old National Commons in the 5400 block of Old National Highway.
Devon Anderson, 38, of Riverdale, was found shot multiple times in the parking lot. The GBI said in a news release that Anderson was shot and killed by Atlanta Police officer Melvin Potter, who was off-duty at the time of the shooting.
Witnesses said there were several officers from different jurisdictions, including Potter, who were out celebrating a fellow officer's birthday.
The GBI said Potter was escorting someone to their car from the bar shortly after 1 a.m. when an argument broke out with a group of people. At some point, Potter pulled out a gun and shot Anderson.
Devon's mom, Valerie Anderson, said her son was shot twice in the arm and once in the abdomen.
"Melvin Potter took my son from me, and I'm not going to let him get away with it," Anderson said.
Following the shooting along Old National Highway, a judge signed a warrant for Potter's blood to be drawn.
City of South Fulton Police said Potter refused. The agency ended up charging Potter with obstruction for refusing to allow his blood to be collected.
"Why is that, Melvin Potter?" asked Anderson.
Potter was later released from jail on bond and remains employed by the Atlanta Police Department, where he's been working since 2015.
Following the shooting, 11Alive learned three years earlier, in 2021, Potter was charged with DUI in Coweta County.
Potter was convicted in April 2022 and sentenced to one-year probation and ordered not to drink.
The deputy's report states that he paced Potter's speed and estimated it to be 100mph before initiating a stop on I-85 just after 2:30 a.m. on June 28, 2021.
During the stop, the deputy noted that when he requested Potter's identification, he also handed him his Atlanta Police Department Police Officer ID.
The deputy noted a strong smell of alcohol, and Potter had a firearm on the passenger seat of his car.
After walking away from Potter's vehicle, the deputy said when he returned, Potter had placed a green sweatshirt that said Atlanta Police on it over the firearm.
The report states that the deputy asked Potter if he would be willing to blow on a preliminary breath test (PBT), which measures a person's blood alcohol content.
The deputy stated that Potter responded by pointing to his sweatshirt in the passenger seat and telling him, " We are on the same team."
Potter continued to refuse, and when asked to perform a field sobriety test, he responded that he was "straight, and I don't really like light in my eyes."
The Atlanta Police officer was charged with failure to maintain and DUI-less safe.
In the report, it states that a search warrant for blood was signed, and Potter allowed it during this arrest. The Atlanta Police Department was notified of Potter's arrest, according to the incident report.
"He should not be a police officer," Anderson explained.
Anderson said she can't understand how Potter was allowed to keep his job.
"The thing that's bothering me the most is why Melvin Potter is not being held accountable in any way," she said.
On Tuesday, 11Alive reached out to APD and asked if the police chief had a statement on Potter being allowed to perform his duties after the 2022 conviction on the DUI charge, along with Potter's current status with APD. Their response was "Ofc. Potter is still employed with APD. His hire date is 01/29/2015."
Andreson said she will not stop fighting for her son.
"I'm going to hold them accountable. I'm going to get the truth and transparency one way or the other."