Ex-deputy demands firing of APD officer involved in deadly 2024 bar shooting

ATLANTA - Atlanta leaders are facing new calls to fire a police officer accused of killing a man during an argument outside a South Fulton bar in 2024.

Melvin Potter has been on leave since the incident but remains employed by the Atlanta Police Department.
 

Atlanta Police Officer Melvin Potter

The backstory:

Devon Anderson was killed on Aug. 5, 2024, after investigators said he had an argument with off-duty APD officer Melvin Potter.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Potter then shot and killed Anderson in the parking lot of the South Fulton bar on Old National Highway.

Investigators said Potter was charged with obstruction by the South Fulton Police Department.

Mother calls for justice in son's killing

A mother whose son was reportedly killed by an off-duty Atlanta police officer wants to know why the officer was never charged for the shooting.

Since Anderson's death, his family has called for Potter to be charged in connection with the man's death and let go from his position.

Valerie Anderson has appeared in front of the Atlanta City Council every week to demand the city take action. 

Investigators said Devon Anderson was shot and killed by an off-duty Atlanta Police Department officer outside a bar in South Fulton. (FOX 5)

"My son isn’t here. But my son will live on in my memories and my heart. I'm going to get justice for my son," Valerie Anderson told FOX 5 in May.

Dig deeper:

At the time of the shooting, records show that Potter was on probation in Coweta County for a DUI arrest in 2021.

On Monday morning, the former Coweta County deputy who arrested Potter in that case will speak during an Atlanta City Council meeting.

In a press release by the National Police Accountability Project, the former deputy says that he believes that Potter's continued employment by the APD poses a threat to public safety. 

"It’s not often that current or former members of the law enforcement community speak out publicly against another officer," said Devin Barrington-Ward, a spokesperson for the National Police Accountability Project (NPAP). "This isn’t just a concern for the Anderson Family or the Atlanta community — even those who’ve worn the badge recognize that Officer Potter’s behavior should have ended his career long before Devon Anderson was murdered by him. The fact that he’s still collecting a paycheck from the City of Atlanta is not just disturbing — it’s disgraceful and sets a dangerous precedent."

The deputy, Anderson's family, and the NPAP are demanding Potter's immediate termination as well and increased oversight and review of officers previously involved in off-duty violence.

What's next:

The former law enforcement officer and the NPAP will hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. ahead of the City Council meeting.