Authorities in Georgia were infuriated after a Fulton County judge initially granted bond, which has since been increased, to an alleged gang member who has been accused of shooting an Atlanta police officer six times in the line of duty.
Christian Eppinger shot David Rodgers, an 11-year veteran officer of the Atlanta Police Department, in early February while he was trying to take the suspect into custody on an outstanding warrant, police said. Rodgers survived the flurry of gunshots but is still in recovery.
The 22-year-old suspect has a long criminal history and was out on probation at the time of the police shooting. He received a 10-year sentence, four in custody, following an armed robbery he committed in May 2016. He was 16 years old at the time.
The move was quickly followed by a response from Willis and Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant, who held a news conference on Wednesday to criticize the judge’s decision. The district attorney’s office also filed an emergency motion asking the court to reconsider his bond.
At a Thursday hearing, Fulton County Judge Alexandra Manning upped the suspect’s bond to over $2 million cash. Willis said the judge could sentence Eppinger to up to 60 years in prison.
“I want to be very clear for the public, though. Mr. Eppinger is not getting out of jail,” Willis said. “There is a hold on him from the Fulton County Jail as a result of that [probation] revocation.”
“We want to make sure that, in my lifetime, he never sees society again,” Willis concluded.
Rushondra Davenport, a Fulton County prosecutor, told a court that Eppinger is “a documented member of YSL street gang”—which stands for “Young Slime Life.”
During Wednesday’s press briefing, Willis and Bryant showed a video of the police shooting, calling it an “assassination” attempt.