A wave of family members, neighbors and community activists used the council’s public-comment period on Dec. 1 to press elected officials for answers and accountability in the fatal shooting of Linton Blackwell on Oct. 11.

Speakers repeatedly said an off-duty Atlanta police officer fired multiple times while Mr. Blackwell was walking away, and they demanded immediate transparency. “My daughter's father, Linton, was shot 17 times in the back,” said Erica Bountry, the mother of Mr. Blackwell’s twins, during public comment. Family members and advocates asked that body-worn camera and surveillance footage be released to the family and the public, that the officer’s disciplinary history be made public, and that an outside investigator handle the review.

Councilmembers responded by adopting a resolution (unanimous on the floor) formally requesting that the appropriate authorities grant the family secure access to the video recordings involved in the incident and to act “promptly and facilitate this request,” language that the council clerk was directed to transmit to the mayor’s office, the Atlanta Police Department and other relevant agencies.

City staff and council members said the case is under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). Several councilmembers urged the administration and APD to keep the family informed during the inquiry. The action by the council does not itself compel release of evidence; it is a formal request from the legislative body urging timely cooperation by investigating agencies.