Brother of man fatally shot by police asks judge for warrant against officer

<p>Roy Lee Pettaway III on Tuesday asked a Fulton County judge to charge the officers involved in the shooting of him and his brother after a bar fight with aggravated assault and attempted murder.</p><p>Pettaway, 27, is recovering from his injuries and was released from the hospital last week. His brother, Ron Jerome Pettaway, was shot in the back of the head and died outside the Frozen Palace lounge on Apr. 15. Neither brother had a gun.</p><p>Fulton County police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are investigating the shootings. Fulton County Police Chief George Coleman said the two officers who shot the men have less than two years on the force. The officers, Aissa Ware, 23, and Michael Bernard Wilson, 26, are on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.</p><p>Ron Pettaway was buried on Saturday, which would have been his 27th birthday.</p><p>The Rev. Markel Hutchins, a spokesman for the Pettaway family, said Roy Lee Pettaway III "has every right and the necessary basis to obtain an arrest warrant against the officer that shot him."</p><p>"There needed to be a clear message sent to law enforcement in this community and around the country that if you use deadly force, you better be justified in doing so," Hutchins said. "If you're not, the people will stand up and hold you accountable. We're thankful we live in a nation that has those kinds of checks and balances."</p><p>Pettaway's application for a warrant also asked a magistrate court judge to charge the officer with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.</p><p>Pettaway has not been charged with any crime in the incident, Hutchins said. He and the family are also planning to meet with Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard.</p><p>Last week, Hutchins submitted a letter on behalf of the family to Gov. Sonny Perdue, calling on him to declare a state of emergency for the numerous police-involved shootings that have happened recently in metropolitan Atlanta.</p><p>The letter urged the formation of a blue-ribbon panel to examine issues including lack of training, the availability of non-lethal weaponry and character assessments and background checks for prospective officers.</p><p>Hutchins said Tuesday that he has not yet heard from the governor regarding the letter.</p>