On Tuesday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation released the recording of the 911 call made by 21-year-old Scout Schultz, the Georgia Tech engineering student who was shot and killed by campus police.
This comes following a weekend of riots and protests following the death of a student who was well-known on campus as the president of a Georgia Tech Pride Alliance, a student LGBTQ organization. Schultz suffered from depression and had attempted suicide two years ago. L. Chris Stewart, the Schultz family’s lawyer, criticized the university police for their failure to properly deescalate a situation involving an individual with mental illness. An investigation began two days ago by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
On Saturday night, Schultz called 911 to report a man carrying a knife on campus. “I think he might have a gun on his hip,” he said in the call.
When police arrived, they found the man who fit the description. He was a White male with long blonde hair wearing a T-shirt and jeans and clutching something in his hand. It was Scout Schultz. A video released online shows the confrontation that followed.
As reports following the incident explained, Schultz was not holding a knife but an unopened multi-purpose tool. No gun was found in his possession, but three suicide notes were found in his dormitory.
According to a document acquired by Diverse from GBI, the officer who shot Schultz is named Tyler Beck. According to a report by The Washington Post, Beck has about 16 months of experience.
A violent protest occurred following a peaceful vigil for Schultz on Monday. Three individuals, Vincent Castillenti, Jacob Wilson and Cassandra Monden, were arrested and charged with inciting a riot and battery of a police officer. It remains unclear as to whether they are students. Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson regretted the presence of the violent demonstrators.
