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The Official Legal Organ of DeKafb County, GA. Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Ciiambiee, Clarks ton, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.
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SECTION A: VOL 25 NO. 43
APRIL 21 - 27,2016
500
County agencies celebrate
Crime Victim's Rights Week
by R. Scott Belzer
sbelzer@dekalbchamp.com
F or more than an hour on
April 14, the gazebo in
downtown Decatur echoed
with cries of victory.
They came from voices not
typically associated with triumph,
achievement or joy but carried a
message filled with hope for the
future. The cries came from victims
of violent crimes and their allies.
As part of National Crime
Victims’ Rights Week, celebrated
April 10-16, the DeKalb County
Solicitor-General’s Office in
partnership with the DeKalb
County Domestic Violence
Task Force hosted a lunchtime
discussion.
The purpose of the “Serving
Victims, Building Trust, Restoring
Hope” event was to promote
victims’ rights and honor victims
of crimes as well as those who
advocate on their behalf, said
Sherry Boston, DeKalb County
solicitor-general.
“Our speakers today are truly
amazing individuals - the definition
of the word survivor,” Boston said.
The event’s two main speakers
were Michael Lash and Christy
Sims, victims of physical violence
involving a home invasion shooting
and domestic abuse crime,
respectively.
On Aug. 16, 2015, Lash, his
wife and their two children had
just returned home from a Florida
vacation. The following day, he
was supposed to start a new job.
After hearing the doorbell ring,
however, Lash and his family’s life
changed drastically.
“I remember talking to my wife
about our faith, saying ‘God gives
and he takes away, he’s given us
so much and we have to be ready
for that time when he takes away
because that is when it really
matters,”’ Lash said. “Little did we
know about what was going to
happen.”
Lash answered the door to
find two young men whom he said
looked “no more than 14 or 15
years old.” After asking for help
with their car, one of the young
men brandished a firearm and
demanded Lash get back inside
the house. Two more young men
soon joined them.
“I remember thinking ‘I cannot
let these guys in my house with
my wife and kids,”’ Lash said. “And
that’s exactly what I told them.”
Lash stood in the doorway
as the assailant counted down
from 10. Upon reaching one, he
shot Lash in the left leg. When
Lash stood back up, the young
man put another bullet in Lash’s
right leg, shattering his femur
and his ephemeral vein. The
assailants entered Lash’s house
and continued shooting at his wife
and newborn daughter but missed.
They soon fled the residence
with a laptop and other electronic
devices.
During the time between Lash
denying entry to the invaders
and the first gunshot, Lash’s wife
was able to call the Atlanta Police
Department, which saved his life.
The officers responded in three
minutes and created a tourniquet.
One of the officers, Tyler Thomas,
visited Lash in the hospital.
“I told him, Thank you so much
for saving my life,”’ Lash said.
“And he told me, ‘You were the
first responder that day, you saved
your family’s life; I was just your
backup.’”
Lash said being able to
recover, move back into his
house, become a part of the
Atlanta community and accept his
attackers’ apologies made him a
victor, not a victim.
“We completely forgive the
See Victims on Page 5A
Survivors Mark Lash and Christy Sims participate in DeKalb’s National Crime
Victims’ Rights Week commemoration. Photos by Travis Hudgons
More than 50 people including government officials came to Decatur Square’s
gazebo to commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
DeKalb County Domestic Violence Task Force co-chairman Asher Burk joins
Solicitor-General Sherry Boston in a moment of silence.
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