Wednesday, February 28, 2024

State v. Russell Mathis and Jordan Vance

Decatur, Ga.- One current and one former DeKalb County Police Department officer have been indicted in the shooting death of a man inside his Stone Mountain home. 

Former DKPD Officer Russell Mathis, 30, was indicted Wednesday by a DeKalb County Grand Jury on charges of felony Involuntary Manslaughter and misdemeanor Reckless Conduct.  The Grand Jury also indicted DKPD Officer Jordan Vance, 30, on a charge of Reckless Conduct. 

The charges stem from the November 4, 2022 shooting of Marando Salmon, 37, inside a home on Autumn Crest Court. 

According to the preliminary investigation, Officer Mathis and Officer Vance responded to a call about a stolen car parked in the driveway of a home on Autumn Crest Court in Stone Mountain.  As part of their investigation, Officer Vance knocked on the front door of the house, which swung open.  Officers Mathis and Vance entered the home. 

As they cleared the house, Officer Mathis opened the door of a second-floor bedroom and encountered Salmon sitting on his bed in the dark room.  In a matter of seconds, Officer Mathis opened fire shooting and killing Salmon.  Salmon had thrown a cell phone at Officer Mathis, which Mathis believed was a knife. 

At the time of the shooting, Salmon was unarmed, but a holstered gun was later recovered in the bedroom.  Paramedics transported Salmon to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

Following their indictments, Grand Jury warrants were issued for the arrests of Defendant Mathis and Defendant Vance. They are expected to surrender to the DeKalb County Jail in the coming days. 

The case will be assigned to a judge and set for trial at a later date.