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Public Safety | 13 JUNE 2019 ■ www.ReporterNewspapers.net Police killing of suicidal man was self-defense, chief says BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@reporternewspajjers.net The recent killing of a suicidal man by a Sandy Springs police officer was a case of self-defense proven by video, ac cording to the police chief. The police de partment has declined to release that vid eo, and the man’s sister declined to speak to reporters pending a consultation with her attorney. Erick Cruz Ramirez, 32, was shot to death by one officer March 21 on North- wood Drive. The police report contains only a single sentence about the inci dent and makes no mention of an attack on police officers. 911 call logs obtained by the Reporter say Ramirez had a knife, was “violent” and “not completely alert,” and apparently had already stabbed him self in the abdomen. Police Chief Ken DeSimone defended the killing in comments at a May 7 City Council budget meeting. The shooting was captured on 10 different police car and body cameras, DeSimone said while discussing the department’s use of body cameras. “That’s why there’s no public outrage about it,” DeSimone said of the killing. “Because you pull it up, and a guy was trying to kill a police officer with a butch er knife and he got real close to doing it.” “We were lucky on that one,” he said. The police video of the incident has not been released to the public. A Report er request for a copy of the video was de nied, with the department citing an Open Records Act exemption pertaining to an open police investigation. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is conducting an independent in vestigation of the killing, said in its press release about the incident that shots were fired after Ramirez did not comply with verbal commands. No officers were injured in the incident, the GBI Said. The GBI regularly investigates offi cer-involved shootings. Once its investi gation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Fulton County District Attorney’s office for review. The March 21 incident began when police responded to a 911 call around 6:15 a.m. reporting an armed person outside 145 Northwood Drive, a condo complex off Roswell Road near 1-285, according to the GBI. The 911 call log said that Ramirez had a “stab wound to abdomen, holding a knife.” The following entry says that shots were fired at 6:22 a.m. Ramirez was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police spokesperson Sgt. Sam Wor sham said that non-lethal force was not used “because a suspect armed with a knife is a deadly force encounter.” The call log said Ramirez was violent, threat ening suicide and “not completely alert.” He was initially reported to be holding a knife to his throat, the call log said. The log later reports that a man was running around the location and asking the offi cer “not to shoot him.” The call log also stated someone was screaming that her brother is killing himself. Ramirez’s sister, Karina Ramirez, speaking through a translator, declined to be interviewed and said she needed to consult with her attorney before speak ing with reporters. Worsham said in a written statement that no outside attor ney has contacted the department about the shooting, and no complaints have been filed. -Laura Plummer contributed Oriental & Area Rug Hand Washing RUG CLEANERS, INC. Oriental & Specialty Rugs Atlanta's Only Unique Submersion Wash & Compressed Air Cleaning Restoration & Repair • Pet Urine Removal Padding & Storage • Moth & Stain Treatments Free Pickup & Delivery • Serving Atlanta for Over 30 years Stoney Green & Steve Arroll, Owners 1710 Chattahoochee Ave., Atlanta, GA 30318 TheRugCleaners.com "■ ■■ ■>' A Birthday... Wedding... Hostess... Baby... Jewelry iV J, 15% CM \mdvr -Hie pjccoua -\yjuC ) gifts, accessories, jewelry & more^A/ \ ■ ♦DISCOUNT LIMITED TO ONE REGULARLY-PRICED ITEM; must present coupon; one per person per offer period; expires 6/I5/I4 Find us in The Shops of Dunwoody S482 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, #27A Tel. 67R-644-R704 Open Tuesday-Friday I0-6, Saturday I0-5; closed Sunday & Monday Please follow us on Facebook & Instagram TAKE THE UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY OF THIS 1988 PULITZER PRIZE-WINNER! DRI i June July 28-21 By Alfred Uhry Directed by Laurel Crowe GEORGIA ENSEMBLE Performed at The Conant Performing Arts Center at Oglethorpe University 4484 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta GA 30319 GET.ORG 770.641.1260 SS