ATLANTA — A Dekalb County family is still pushing back against law enforcement's account of how their loved one was killed. Investigators said the man was shot after he lunged at police with a knife, but his family said they don’t believe that.
Witness Jason Neil said that he was coming home Monday afternoon, when he came up on several police cars and emergency vehicles in his neighborhood.
"I noticed someone running and jumped off the balcony and then he dove into that little window," Neil said.
He believes the man that he saw was Matthew Zodak Williams, who was shot and killed by officers.
PHOTOS | Matthew Williams and family
Dekalb County Police said they were called to Terrace Trail on Monday after getting a call about a man "aggressively wielding a knife." Police said when they made contact with the man, he lunged at them with the knife, leading an officer to open fire. It was unclear if Williams was hit. GBI said Williams ran into his home, when at some point he came at police again and was shot.
However, Neil said that he never saw Williams with a knife, "I never saw anything in his hands. And then five minutes after he got into his house, I heard one shot and then some hollering."
Williams' family said they don't believe law enforcement's account that their loved one threatened the officers, describing him as the most caring and selfless person they knew.
"My brother was not violent. My brother was not confrontational," his sister, Chyah Williams explained.
The GBI has taken over the investigation, and said a knife was recovered from the scene. We have requested the body cam video from the officers who responded that night, but have been told it is not available because the case is still under investigation.