Grand Jury Clears Officer of Murder Charges

On June 30, 2011, Atlanta Police Officer Thomas Atzert was forced to use deadly force in the line of duty against a suspect who ripped his OC spray and ASP baton from his hand while Officer Atzert attempted to take him into custody. He fired one shot hitting the suspect in the back.  The suspect did not survive. Four years later, the Fulton County District Attorney attempted to indict Officer Atzert for aggravated assault, felony murder and other charges including violating his oath of office. The grand jury heard from over 20 witnesses and seven experts over two days. Lance assisted Officer Atzert with his statement to the grand jury and was with him at all times. After deliberating for several hours, on June 12, 2014 the grand jury voted to No Bill the indictment finding that Officer Atzert’s actions were justified under the law. Officer Atzert left the courthouse and went home to his family. We are honored to stand up and fight for this honorable officer and are proud that he will continue to serve the citizens of the City of Atlanta.

“Lance LoRusso is a phenomenal attorney. His knowledge about what the average LEO faces on a daily basis is second to none. He’s been there, and it shows. His dedication to you and your case is outstanding. I cannot think of a better person I would want by my side when faced with on the job issues, whether they are administrative, civil, or criminal. He has helped me personally with both civil and criminal matters, and we were successful each time. Lance will tell you that it was because of me, but I will tell you that I could not have done it without his expertise, his experience, his dedication and his faith in the good guy. He put countless hours into making sure I was prepared and confident. He made himself familiar with every detail of my incident as though he had been there with me. I really could not have been successful without him and will never be able to thank him enough. Lance is a dedicated attorney to the LEO community, and we are better for it. Whether you’re a member of a union or going it alone, just don’t do it without him. I can’t recommend Lance and his team enough.”

– T. Atzert