Grieving mother calls for charges against APD officer accused of killing son

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.

ATLANTA - A grieving mother spent her first Mother’s Day without her son calling for justice. Investigators said Devon Anderson was shot and killed by an off-duty Atlanta Police Department officer outside a bar in South Fulton in August, but that officer was never charged in connection with the shooting.

Now, Valerie Anderson, the victim's mother, wants charges filed in her son’s murder case along with more transparency from APD about when officers are arrested or use force. 

Anderson held a memorial and birthday celebration for her son on Sunday, as he was born on Mother’s Day 39 years ago.

Valerie Anderson wants charges filed over her son's death. (FOX 5)

"My son didn't have a chance to have kids. My son didn't get a chance to get married. And those are the things that he wanted to do," Anderson said.

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. Potter was relieved of duty but remains employed by APD.

Melvin Potter  (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Coweta County arrest records show Potter was arrested in the county for a DUI in 2021. Valerie Anderson wants to know why Potter still works for the Atlanta Police Department.

What they're saying:

Valerie Anderson said she is frustrated there are still no charges against Potter for her son’s death and that Potter is still employed by APD.

"If the plan is to wear me down, Mother is not going anywhere," she said.

Anderson is working alongside Atlanta City Councilman Julian Bond to get answers from District Attorney Fani Willis about potential charges.

"We want to meet with the district attorney to urge her and her staff to look at this very closely and to move with all deliberate speed and get the matter resolved," said Bond.

 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," Anderson said.

What's next:

The mother said she will continue to appear in front of the Atlanta City Council every week, as she has since her son was killed, to demand the city take action to hold Melvin Potter accountable.

She is asking that he be removed from APD’s employment permanently.