The chairman of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund ( LELDF: www.policedefense.org) claims that the charges against a former DeKalb County police officer are unjustified.David Martin said LELDF is aiding the former Marine's legal defense team.
Torrey Thompson, 31, a former police officer in the DeKalb County Police Department, was charged last year with murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, and violation of oath in connection with the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Matthews during an attempted arrest in September 2006. The charges may send Thompson to jail for life if convicted.
"Officer Torrey Thompson and his partner had a confrontation with a dangerous wanted criminal wielding what they thought was a pistol," Martin said in a statement. "When Lorenzo Matthews refused to stop, despite constant requests, and repeatedly made threatening gestures toward the officers with what appeared to be a gun, both policemen fired in self defense. Torrey Thompson thought his partner was in grave danger and both policemen feared for their lives."
According to Martin, Thompson received four commendations during his service in the DeKalb County Police Department, and he was never disciplined.
Thompson voluntarily resigned from the force in November 2006 and took a job in the Barrow County Sheriff's Office until he was indicted in July 2008.
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