Middle Judicial Circuit District Attorney Hayward Altman announces at a press conference in 2017 that he will seek murder and other criminal charges against three former deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office stemming from the July 7, 2017 death of 58-year-old Euree Lee Martin, of Milledgeville. All three of the men reportedly involved in the death of Martin were fired by Washington County Sheriff Thomas H. Smith.

SANDERSVILLE, Ga. — Three deputies fired from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Sandersville Thursday afternoon face possible grand jury indictments on felony murder and other criminal charges related to the death of a 58-year-old Milledgeville man.

Euree Lee Martin died of a heart attack after he was tased by deputies answering a call of a suspicious person near the intersection of Deepstep and Sinai roads July 7, according to Middle Judicial Circuit District Attorney Hayward Altman. 

“This decision is based simply on the facts that were generated through the excellent investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the findings of the medical examiner,” Altman said during a Friday press conference held at the Washington County Courthouse in Sandersville. “With that in mind, on Dec. 19 of this year, the grand jury will be meeting.”

At that time, Altman said he will present the case for consideration of criminal indictment against the three former deputies involved in the incident.

“Tragically his life was ended back on July 7, 2017 (after) an encounter with Washington County deputies Henry L. Copeland, Michael Howell and Rhett Scott,” Atlman told reporters and close to 100 spectators that gathered in the courtroom.

Altman said he will seek grand jury consideration for indictments against each of the men on charges of felony murder, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, simple battery, and reckless conduct.

“This is not presented to them for a fact-finding situation,” Altman said.

The veteran prosecutor said he will present the case to grand jurors for the purpose of criminal indictment.

Immediately after Martin’s death, Washington County Sheriff Thomas H. Smith “did exactly as the law is required in the fact that he basically had his officers secure the scene,” Altman said. “Once officers secured the scene, he then contacted, which is required, the GBI to proceed with an investigation.”

Altman said securing the scene and calling for an independent investigation by the state law enforcement agency helps protect the integrity of the investigation when there is a use of force case involving law enforcement officers.

He said it should be noted that the sheriff did exactly what the law requires.

“He did an excellent job in that process,” Altman said. “He made sure the scene was secured. He made sure that he called the appropriate people to do the investigation.”

Altman said there was no interference from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office that affected the outcome of the investigation.

Altman expressed his condolences, his prayers and his thoughts to family members of the victim.

“It should be noted they lost a brother in this particular incidence and an uncle; in other words, they lost a family member,” Altman said. “And people should respect their grief and respect whatever statements they wish to make.”

The investigation was handled by agents from the GBI Region 12 Office in Eastman, which is supervised by Scott Whitley, special agent in-charge.

Altman commended the special agents assigned to the investigation of the Martin case. He said they did an “excellent job” and they talked with witnesses, and obtained videos and other evidence.

“Once they completed their portion of the investigation, that investigative report was turned over to me,” Altman said. “I was able to then evaluate the evidence based on what the facts of the case were — not rumors, not innuendo, but the actual facts that were established through the investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.”

The GBI, whom the district attorney described as a fact-finding unit, got all the facts to him in order for him to make the decision on how to proceed. 

In Georgia, under use of force cases, district attorneys have three options once they have received the case file from GBI agents.

Altman told what each of those options were to give the public a complete understanding.

One option afforded district attorneys is that the use of force was justified. The second option is to make a determination whether or not to present the facts to a civil grand jury and have that grand jury make a recommendation about whether the case should be presented to a criminal grand jury or simply that the use of force was justified. The third option is to present it to a criminal grand jury for purposes of criminal indictment.

“Because I was elected to this position by the people of Washington County and the Middle Judicial Circuit that falls on me,” Altman said. “I have never shied away from making the kind of decisions that have to make in these kinds of cases. My decision is based solely on the evidence presented in any specific case.”

Altman said he is among the 49 district attorneys across the state that takes that obligation seriously.

“We look at these cases and we make a determination whether or not the actions of the officer to the actions of anybody meets the criteria for criminal investigation or criminal indictment or not,” Altman said.

He explained that the investigation involving Martin’s had been completed.

“I have been waiting for the medical examiner for the state of Georgia to complete his autopsy,” Altman said, noting as district attorney in a case such as this one that it was important for him to understand the cause of death of the victim.

Altman said the received that report Monday.

He said that was the last piece of evidence that he needed before he made his determination as to what would happen.

“Once I received that information containing all the facts of this specific case, I then made arrangements to contact Mr. Martin’s family,” Altman said. “It should be noted that it’s extremely important that the family of Mr. Martin was notified of the decision before we (held) any kind of press conference or made any kind of an announcement. That is just the right thing to do.”

Altman said he met with Martin’s family and their attorneys earlier Friday.

The district attorney said he also notified the sheriff about the decision he had made regarding the case.

“[Sheriff Smith] took what action he felt was proper at that point in time, based on the knowledge he had from the information I had given him,” Altman said, noting representatives for the three former deputies were also informed of his decision, as well as the attorney that represents Washington County.

The videos of the incident involving Martin were shown to Martin’s family members’ attorneys, as well as the county attorney.