Off-duty officer’s refusal spurs South Fulton to hire phlebotomists to collect evidence

ATLANTA — The City of South Fulton plans to hire more phlebotomists to ensure that evidence is collected in future investigations, following an incident involving an off-duty Atlanta Police officer who allegedly shot and killed someone in South Fulton two months ago.

On Aug. 5, officers took off-duty Atlanta Police Officer Melvin Potter to Grady Memorial Hospital for a court-ordered blood test, but he refused to comply.

As a result, Potter was charged with obstruction and released on bond the same night. The victim’s family believes Potter manipulated the system.

“My son died senselessly,” said Valerie Lans-Anderson, whose 38-year-old son, Devon, was shot and killed.

The pain is still fresh for Lans-Anderson as she seeks justice.

Lans-Anderson emphasized her right to pursue justice for her son.

Witnesses reported that Potter, who was allegedly leaving a birthday party for a South Fulton officer, got into an argument with a group before shooting Devon.

Witnesses also claimed that Devon was trying to de-escalate the situation and that Potter appeared intoxicated.

Despite South Fulton police securing a warrant for a blood test, it was not performed.

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“The judge ordered it, so take it!” said Lans-Anderson, expressing frustration at the situation. “They know how to work the system, and he did, and he is still doing it.”

South Fulton Police Chief Keith Meadows acknowledged the challenges faced due to refusals to take blood tests.

“It kind of left us in limbo in regard to the investigation,” Meadows said.

He proposed the idea of hiring phlebotomists to conduct tests on-site to avoid similar issues in the future.

“Is it 100%? Absolutely not, nothing is 100%, but it positions ourselves in the best spot,” Meadows said about the proposed plan.

For Devon’s mother, while she supports the initiative, her primary focus remains on accountability and seeing Officer Potter face charges for the death of her son.

“I would feel relieved to the point that my son didn’t die in vain,” she said.

The Atlanta Police Department stated that Potter has been relieved of duty, which involves confiscating his gun and badge, and he is prohibited from reporting to assignments.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation mentioned there are currently no updates on the case.

Channel 2 Action News reached out to Grady Memorial Hospital about why the blood test was not performed but did not receive a response. State policy leaves it to a phlebotomist or supervisor makes a final determination if a blood draw can be carried out safely.

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