An autopsy report from the Fulton County Medical Examiner has revealed disturbing new details in the case of a man shot and killed by an off-duty Atlanta police officer outside a Buckhead bar. The report shows that Linton Blackwell, 44, also known as B-Green in Atlanta’s music community, was struck 17 times from behind. This revelation has deepened the demand for justice from Blackwell’s family and friends.
The incident took place on October 11, when Officer Gerald Walker, who was working a side security job at Five Paces Inn, shot Blackwell after an altercation inside the bar. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is currently handling the case. Timothy Coleman, Blackwell’s manager and longtime friend, expressed his disbelief upon learning the number of times Blackwell was shot. “I just couldn’t believe it was 17 times in the back,” Coleman said. “There’s not one shot in the front.”
Coleman described Blackwell as a family-oriented man who was a father, brother, and proud East Lake Meadows native. Blackwell had a strong reputation within Atlanta’s music industry and was known as an entrepreneur who remained deeply connected to his family. “He was a loving family man,” Coleman said. “He just leaves a lot behind”, according to local NBC WXIA.
According to Coleman, there was an altercation inside Five Paces Inn before Blackwell was escorted out of the establishment. The GBI’s investigation revealed that Walker approached Blackwell outside the bar, at which point Blackwell walked toward the back parking lot. Coleman, however, disputes this version of events. “The officer ensued, chased him down, and gunned him down… that’s what we know,” Coleman said.
The GBI’s report indicates that Walker followed Blackwell to the back parking lot, where Blackwell entered a vehicle and appeared to place something in the “small of his back.” Walker then reportedly gave commands related to a gun before opening fire. Coleman questions the justification for firing so many shots, particularly given that Blackwell was reportedly not facing the officer when the shots were fired.
“If he wasn’t pointing a gun at you or doing anything, what does that have to do with shooting him in the back 17 times?” he said. “That means he wasn’t facing you. He wasn’t a threat.” Despite the tragedy, Coleman emphasized that he does not harbor resentment toward law enforcement as a whole, given his military background and connections with police officers.
However, he insists that Officer Walker must be held accountable. “I want him locked up,” Coleman said. “Gerald Walker needs to be behind bars.” The GBI’s investigation is ongoing, and once completed, the case will be handed over to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, which will decide whether to present it to a grand jury. Additionally, the Atlanta Police Department has initiated an internal investigation into the incident.