Russell Mathis (DeKalb County Police Department)
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A plea hearing has been scheduled for a former DeKalb County Police Department officer charged in connection with the shooting death of a Stone Mountain man, court officials said.
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Ex-officer accused in deadly shooting to enter plea
A plea hearing has been scheduled for Russell Mathis, 32, a former DeKalb County Police Officer accused in the deadly shooting of a Stone Mountain man. Mathis is charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless Conduct.
What we know:
DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney L. Johnson set the plea hearing for Russell Mathis, 32, for 1 p.m. Wednesday.
The backstory:
In November 2022, DeKalb County officer Russell Mathis reportedly shot 37-year-old Marando Salmon to death inside his Stone Mountain home.
Mathis and another officer had entered the residence while investigating a stolen vehicle found in the driveway. Upon entering a dark upstairs bedroom, Mathis encountered Salmon sitting on his bed. When Salmon threw a cell phone, Mathis—mistaking the device for a knife—fired multiple shots. While a holstered firearm was later located in the room, investigators confirmed that Salmon was unarmed at the time of the shooting.
The legal process has seen significant delays, with a grand jury first indicting Mathis and his partner in February 2024. However, those charges were dismissed in April 2025 due to procedural concerns regarding how evidence was presented. In September 2025, a grand jury reindicted Mathis alone on charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct, as prosecutors decided not to pursue the second officer.