The family of Skylar Adams, the 5-year-old girl shot by a Douglas deputy, wants the deputy fired and criminally charged. During a chase with a suspect, the deputy’s bullets hit Skylar in her arm. Lawyers Bakari Sellers and Ben Crump have stepped forward to seek justice for her.

Details of the Shooting Incident

The event unfolded around 12,30 a.m. at an Atlanta gas station on Fulton Industrial Boulevard on Sunday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) states that the suspect, Rashauny Mike Palmer who is 25 years old, had escaped Dallas Police custody earlier and was being chased in his Dodge Charger by Douglas deputies when he crashed near the gas station. When he tried to steal a BMW parked at the gas station pump with Skylar, her mother Aaliyah Adams and another adult inside, an unnamed deputy fired shots into it and Skylar was hit.

Medical Treatment and Impact

Skyler had to be hospitalized but has been discharged even though her arm wound is still open as doctors chose not to sew it closed to fight off infection. This treatment complicates things for Skyler who wants to swim and play like other kids during summer break.

“The dirtiness of bullets makes healing such wounds tricky,” disclosed Sellers about learning something new due to this case. He also notes Skyler’s struggle with missing out on regular fun activities.

Dispute Over Official Report

Sellers points out several issues concerning how the shooting was officially reported where it seems like there may be inconsistencies in details provided. For instance, describing what hit Skylar as being just fragment when Seller has video proof that clearly shows a nearly whole bullet hit her.

In addition, Sellers questions why the deputy had to take such extreme steps by firing into the car when in a gas station due to the increased danger it poses, especially considering that everyone inside the car weren’t related to what was happening.

Lawyers Reactions and Steps Going Forward

Lawyer Ben Crump has strongly voiced out against how the deputy behaved during this incident by stating,

“I’m not sure why this deputy thought he was in some sort of action film but acting like this without concern for basic safety can result in innocent people losing lives. Thinking of his actions as reckless or careless does not do justice. He’s obviously dangerous and should be held responsible.”

The legal team is looking into all potential avenues for seeking justice including filing a civil lawsuit while pushing for instant job termination and criminal charges against the deputy involved, however no response regarding any of these has been received from Douglas County Sheriff’s Office despite repeated requests for more details.

Progress of Investigation

GBI is conducting their own investigation on this incident where results will later be reviewed by Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. Sellers is optimistic that criminal charges related to reckless actions will be filed against the deputy after which they plan on obtaining his personnel records to see if he has any past disciplinary issues.

Effect on Skylar’s Family

This incident has left deep emotional scars on Skylar herself along with her family where she now cries every time the family has go near a gas station while Sellers states,

“As a dad myself, I cannot even fathom what her parents are going through at present,” Bitterly, he added “We’re dealing with an innocent child who will never be same because a deputy who was supposed to protect her instead shot her. That does not make you mad then nothing will.”

Wider Significance

This shooting incident has brought into focus the broader problems concerning how force is used by those in law enforcement especially when civilians not involved get hurt. What made more people pay attention to this issue were high-profile civil rights lawyers Crump and Sellers voicing out about it publicly, it’s worth noting that this is the 36th instance where GBI had to investigate an officer involved shooting in 2024.

Conclusion

The family of Skylar Adams are still fighting for justice and accountability for what the Douglass County deputy did while being persistently hopeful for a resolution bringing closure and accountability. The legal team working on this case continues to fight on their behalf ensuring that steps are taken so an incident like this does not repeat.

Meanwhile, the case is under active investigation.