Parents of MARTA shooting victim file suit
MARTA and MARTA officer named as defendents in wrongful death suit
A local family is alleging wrongful death in the shooting of nineteen-year-old Joetavious Stafford at the hands of a MARTA police officer.
On October 15, 2011, Officer Robert Waldo responded to a shot fired during a fight outside the Vine City MARTA station, and fired several shots himself. Believing Stafford was armed, Waldo shot the teen once in the chest and twice in the back, according to the autopsy. District Attorney Paul Howard’s office has said a gun was found at the scene, but it remains unclear if it belonged to Stafford. The victim’s brother Rodney Stafford told WSB-TV that Joetavious was already on the ground when Waldo shot him two more times in the back.
Some excerpts from the suit, which names both Waldo and MARTA as defendents ...
“Waldo’s actions, in shooting Joetavius Stafford, were done oppressively, maliciously, corruptly or without authority of law ... As a direct and proximate result of the tortious acts and omissions of Defendant MARTA and Defendant Waldo, Joetavius Stafford experienced conscious pain and suffering, and ultimately a wrongful death ... Waldo did not reasonably believe that Joetavius Stafford posed an immediate threat of physical harm to ... Waldo or others.”
Waldo resigned his post in March, and Howard’s office is continuing to investigate the shooting.